


To the bride and the grooms

by Ralina



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Forced Marriage, Fred Weasley Lives, Magical Twins, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:47:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 89,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22405213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralina/pseuds/Ralina
Summary: AU: The battle of Hogwarts is lost. Fred lives but Harry Potter dies. What will happen if Voldemort enforces a marriage law to trap all muggleborns into a proper pureblood marriage? Who will be there for Hermione to safe her from being bound to a death eater? (This is a triad fanfic featuring Fred and George Weasley.)
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley/George Weasley
Comments: 71
Kudos: 186





	1. The beginning of the end

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends. If you are coming from a newer story of mine be warned: this is an old story, in fact, the first story I have ever written in English. I am not a native speaker and there might be strange mistakes. I understand if that is not what you want to deal with. I also considered deleting that story, but in a way I still like it. And it definitely shows that I have grown, as a writer. So for all my writer-colleagues: this is where I started.
> 
> Warnings ahead: This will be a triad marriage law fanfiction, featuring Fred and George as well as Hermione. If this is not your cup of tea, then please don't read it. I won't get to graphic, but there will be sexual content. So be warned.  
> Copyright: I do not own Harry Potter. I would love to, as it is my favourite book series of all time, but unfortunately, I don't.

The beginning of the end was the battle of Hogwarts. They had given everything and lost – everything. That was, at least, how it felt to Hermione. And she still could not understand how it could have all gone so wrong. They had even managed to destroy the damned Horcrux from the Room of Hidden Things, Ravenclaw's diadem. They had gone to the shack, had seen Snape die there. Hermione was still unsure how to feel about that. He had betrayed them all, hadn't he? He was the one who killed Dumbledore. Still, he had been killed mercilessly by his own master, Voldemort, who was now master of the Elder Wand, on top of all the other terrible things. Because the bastard wasn't already dangerous enough. This was where things started going wrong.

They had a memory from Snape and went back to the castle. This is when Harry disappeared – the last time she had seen him alive. The last time she would  _ ever _ see him alive. Because Harry Potter had died. Harry Potter – the boy who lived, had died. And with him died the chance of them killing Voldemort and winning the war. Hermione knew, even Ron knew, because they had known the prophecy: …and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…

In other words: they were fucked. Because Harry was supposed to be the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord – the only one. And he was dead. Hermione had seen the body. Hagrid had carried him to Hogwarts. And the fighting had stopped. Neville had tried to resist, to fight. But he didn't last long before he was captured – not killed. Not alone. Because Neville had been alone in that moment. Hermione was still ashamed to admit it, but she didn't raise her wand to help him. She was still too paralysed and just kept staring at the dead body on the ground: Harry's body. And so Neville had lost, even though he had fought like a true Gryffindor. The Dark Lord refused to spill any more magical blood which meant he did not kill him, or Hermione, even though she was a Mudblood. But she was magical and might still be useful to him. Hermione shuddered at the thought. It was a nightmare.

The moment Neville fell to the ground unconscious, the last bit of morale had left the troops. Hermione could still hear the cold, snakelike voice that ordered him and all the Mudbloods to be captured. This was the moment when strong arms closed around her from behind, and a moment later, she was pulled into an apparation. First, she did not understand. But her next thought was, "Ron. He saved me." It was her last thought before she lost consciousness. It was all too much. And she gladly surrendered to blissful darkness.

++++++++

It wasn't Ron who had saved her, it was George. He sat next to her when she woke in a small bed in a dimmed room. But she still figured out it was him when she studied his grim facial expression. He was awake and stared down at her with sad, brown eyes. Brown, not blue eyes, like Ron's. For a long moment, she just stared back at him and their eyes locked in an exchange of sadness and hopelessness.

"You are awake. Thank god. You scared me, when you simply passed out on the floor of my bedroom. Not that you were the first lady doing that, mind you." A small spark of something flickered through his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Sorry," Hermione replied sheepishly. "I suppose it was all too much at the moment." She remembered all the restless hours before: Gringotts, the flight with the dragon, the alarm in Hogsmeade and then the endless hours of fighting… no wonder she crashed when the adrenaline had finally worn off. She didn't want to explain it to George, not now and maybe not ever. Because the memories of Harry's death were still too fresh, and they hurt. And so she just replied: "Thank you for saving me, George. I don't know what they would have done to me, when I was captured."

George just nodded. "No thanks needed, not ever. You saved Fred and we can never thank you enough for that."

But Hermione just shook her head. "Of course you can. You would have done the same for me - any of you." And it was true, Hermione knew it was. The Weasleys weren't just friends, they were family to her. And she was family to them. The only family she might have left. Because her parents were in Australia, they were safe. Thank Merlin for that.

George smiled painfully. "True. But I can still see the wall collapse. I even saw the first stone hitting him. But then you cast that shield. Still not sure how you managed it so fast. I would have lost him, I'm sure of it." He cast his eyes downwards and started staring on his hands. "But I can't lose Fred – not ever."

She tried to smile reassuringly at him and put her hand shyly into his. "And you won't lose him. Not if I can help it." She possibly couldn't keep this promise, they both knew it. Not with everything that happened in the last hours. He smiled nonetheless and nodded silently. But Hermione frowned: "How is Fred by the way? I haven't seen him since we left him with you in the castle. Is he alright?" She felt bad for not thinking of him sooner.

"Don't worry. He's with mum and dad. Ron is also with them, should you worry about him. They are at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur. Dad sent a Patronus about an hour ago. He got hit on his head quite a bit, but that's nothing that won't heal in a few hours with my mum around. He got much worse during Quidditch practise."

Hermione nodded and squeezed his hand. "Well, that's at least some good news." She fell silent and closed her eyes and for a few moments, neither of them spoke. Finally, Hermione managed to summon her courage and asked, "Did your dad send any other news?" She swallowed heavily.

George sighed. "Not much. As far as we know, they cleared Hogwarts and You-Know-Who ‘s there with some of his followers. Most of the wounded went to St Mungo's, and the dead… well, we were permitted to bring them with us, but…" He swallowed but did not continue. Hermine had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"What about Harry?" she finally managed to ask, but her voice sounded hollow and tired.

"He wasn't there. Dad said they could not find him. I know it's odd, because he was  _ just there _ , in front of us. But almost as soon as the battle was over and we all surrendered, he was gone. Nobody has really seen him disappear, no. It was just, as if he was never even there, to begin with."

Hermione couldn't help but feel a small flicker of hope. It sounded crazy, but… "Could it be that it was just an illusion? Maybe the Death Eaters tricked us somehow. Maybe he is still around somewhere, alive..."

George sighed. "I don't know Hermione. Don't you think he would have shown up by now? He knows Shell Cottage. And he would have never left Neville fighting alone. The only way he could have disappeared is if he had run away during the battle and Harry would have never done that. He was anything but a coward."

Hermione nodded stubbornly but refused to let go of that little bit of hope that has formed in her chest. George must have read her thoughts because he continued gently, "I don't say that I'm a hundred percent sure he's dead. I mean, he survived many crazy things. But I am pretty sure that the body that Hagrid carried was dead as a stone. And it definitely looked like Harry."

Hermione nodded mutely. Of course, George was right. If Harry was still alive, then he would have shown up by now. On the other hand, it had just been a few hours. Or had it been more than that?

"George? How long was I out?" she asked and opened her eyes to look at him uneasily. He furrowed his brows.

"About 12 hours, I think. First you were unconscious, but that then you just slept on and on - like you were dead tired or something."

She nodded. "I was. We were up for hours and hours – running, fighting. I still can't believe some of the stuff we did. Someday I have to tell you. It would make a great story…" She smiled sadly at him. "But the ending… I still can't believe Harry is dead." She felt the tears coming to her eyes and shut them quickly. But George had seen them anyway. She heard him move from the chair and felt the mattress dipping next to her shoulder. He must have sat down next to her.

"Don't worry, Hermione. You can cry as much as you like. I won't judge you. Was crying my eyes out not six hours ago."

She opened her eyes and nodded a watery smile. "And there is no shame in that. We all lost so much. So many good people are dead… Harry, Remus, Tonks, Colin Creevey… and so many more. How can we ever move on without them?"

He smiled a grim smile. "I don't know, Hermione. But we will have to. And we will." He slowly got up and moved to the door. Then he turned back to her, raised his chin while fixing her with his warm, brown eyes. "And don't worry, Hermione. We won't lose anyone else. Not if I can help it."

She nodded and smiled gratefully. They both knew that it might be impossible for him to keep that promise. But the intention behind it was important. It meant hope, even if there was none at the moment. But hope was what they needed more than anything right now. And she would give it back to him if she could.

Hermione nodded determinedly. "You are right. We won't lose anyone else. Not, if we can help it. Because you are not alone in this and neither am I. Promise me?"

He nodded. "Promise." And somehow this small word made her feel much better.

++++++++

She must have fallen asleep soon after, because she couldn't remember much after that. The next time she awoke it was already dark outside, and her stomach kept growling violently at her. Time to get up, if just for a little snack. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something. Must have been at Shell Cottage… but that was days ago. At least, it felt like it had been days. Well, if she got used to something during her time on the run with the boys, then it was to run on almost no nutrition. But now she definitely needed something to eat.

Slowly, she got up from her bed and padded to the door. She was still in her clothes from the day before and was thankful for it. Not that she didn't trust George, but the thought of him removing her clothes while she was unconscious was just uncomfortable.

The door opened without making a single sound. Hermione slipped into a narrow hallway and to the left she could make out the front door of the flat. To the right the hallway was several meters long and opened up into a large living area with a small kitchenette in one corner. Perfect! The living room was empty as far as she could tell, and so she raided the fridge and took some pumpkin juice and a huge piece of cold shepherd's pie. She didn't bother with heating it up and just took a bite before washing it down with a mouth full of pumpkin juice. It was delicious! It took her less than two minutes to finish her meal before she put down her dishes into the sink. When she finally turned around to move back into her room, she almost stumbled into George, who was only two steps behind her. Her heart leaped and she made a small jump before stumbling back into the counter.

"Gosh, George. You almost scared me half to death. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

The redhead smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I was just on my way to get something for myself. Butterbeer?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Sure. I've slept for ages and now I really could use some company. Any news?"

George nodded. "Yeah. Let's move to the sofa. You might want to sit down for that."

They moved to the sitting area, but Hermione chose one of the two wing chairs to sit down in. She sat somewhat stiffly on the edge and started to chew her lip nervously. "Well, what is it?"

George took a large sip from his bottle and sighed. "I've been collecting some news. You-Know-Who was proclaimed Minister of Magic about two hours ago. He announced a big reorganization of the Ministry, supposedly to form a more stable government. But I am sure it is just to get rid of all the Blood Traitors and Mudbloods."

She nodded grimly and also took a sip from her bottle of butterbeer. This wasn't really surprising news.

"Dad already cancelled his job at the ministry. I'm not sure how my parents will make a living, but we will think of something." He rubbed his face tiredly and took another sip from his bottle. Hermione thought that he almost didn't look like one of the twins, as all mischief seemed to have left him. It made her feel even more helpless. Fred and George had always managed to cheer everybody up. Even as George had lost his ear to Snape's Septumsempra curse, he still managed to make fun of the situation. Now, he almost seemed resigned.

Silently, she got up from her wing chair and sat down next to him. Then she took his hands into hers and looked into his eyes. "It will be alright," she promised with every bit of determination she could muster. "Remember you are not alone in this."

He smiled crookedly. "And we have the brightest witch of our age on our side. Voldi doesn't stand a chance."

She giggled. "Not to forget the pair of biggest pranksters since the Marauders. He won't know what hit him."

He gently squeezed her hands before removing them from her grip and putting them behind his head. "There is more news," he said and immediately his voice lost all the cheer. "Lucius Malfoy was named Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Hermione stiffened in her seat and quickly closed her eyes to mask the horror which must have shown there. Images from her last "visit" to Malfoy Manor rose before her inner eye and she inevitably began to shiver. George must have noticed anyway, because he gently put his left arm around her shoulder. But she was so lost in her memories that she flinched back from his touch. For a moment, silence stretched between them and Hermione tried to breathe calmly and get a grip on her rising panic. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest and wouldn't slow down.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" She heard George's voice which was full of concern.

She gulped and tried to blink away the tears, but they started coming anyway. Finally, she took a long breath and whispered, "Have you heard about Malfoy Manor and what happened there? To us, I mean…"

George was silent for a minute, but finally he said: "You were tortured, weren't you? Mum mentioned it briefly but wouldn't say anything more about it."

Hermione just nodded and finally leaned her head against his shoulder. For some minutes she just stared straight ahead and breathed. But finally, she found her voice and told him what happened. It was the first time she told somebody. The boys, of course, had known some of it, as they were there when it happened. But she had never told anybody herself and just bottled it all up and hid it deep down. Now it all came back to the surface and the words just kept spilling out of her. She told him everything: how they were captured and had disguised Harry, how they were found out anyway, how Bellatrix had found the sword and how she was tortured for something that felt like ages. Her body started shaking in the middle of it, and she felt George move behind her and pull her into a comforting embrace. Through it all, he didn't say a word and just kept holding her. It gave her the strength to get it all out.

"I c….can't go back there… to Hogwarts I mean. With the Carrows and who knows which other Death Eaters as teachers. I just can't…" She trembled violently. "But what will I do without my NEWTs? Even with them it would be almost impossible for me to find something. With my blood and the fact that I am Undesirable Number 2..."

He snorted behind her. "You know I won't judge you. Remember who you are talking to? Fred and I only managed 3 OWLs each and we dropped out of Hogwarts before getting any NEWTs. We will definitely open up the shop again and, if you want, you can work with us. We have a huge potions lab and a quite impressive workshop in the back. And we would be delighted to have you. Think about it, will you?"

She wasn't alone in this, she realized. George had, of course, told her so before and he had just proven it again. Suddenly Hermione felt lighter than she had felt for a long time. She made a quick decision and turned around to throw herself into his arms. Her tears had finally stopped coming and she just clung to him and buried her head in his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she kept mumbling and George chuckled.

"Never thought Hermione Granger would be so thrilled to be working for the greatest pranksters of Hogwarts," he teased, and Hermione giggled.

"You just wait, George Weasley. I might surprise you," she replied and smiled into his chest. And somehow, she knew that all would be well.


	2. The move

Fred hated Shell Cottage. It wasn't just that it was overcrowded these days; he was used to not having his own space. 17 years of living in the Burrow had taught him as much and he really didn't mind. But the Burrow was always a lively place full of laughter, joy and screaming. Living at Shell Cottage for the last week had felt like being buried alive. Everybody was moping around, and if finally somebody said something then it was always in hushed whispers. And Fred hated it. He missed George, missed joking around or simply talking to somebody who really understood him. Of course, he could still feel him through their twin bond, catch glimpses of their flat and of Hermione. And he could feel the same kind of depression from him that had also taken hold of all the inhabitants of Shell Cottage. And this just wasn't right, not for George. He needed to go back to his place and to his twin, as this was where he belonged. Together they would get through all of this shit like they always had. But his mum refused to let him go before she was sure that he was properly healed. For all that he knew this had been 3 days ago, but still his mother found some reason to pamper him further and keep him locked up in that blasted cottage. Yesterday, he'd finally had enough and something in him snapped. He still regretted losing his temper and shouting at her to finally let him go. Because immediately his mother had broken down and started sobbing. They had almost lost him, she said. It was only thanks to Hermione that he was still alive and not buried together with Tonks, Lupin and all the others. And for the first time in his life, Fred was speechless. He hadn't known. Finally, his mum had calmed down, and he grudgingly promised her one more day. And this day was up in not even 10 minutes. Brilliant!

He almost cheerfully entered the small kitchen but stopped in his tracks when he saw the agitated expressions of all the inhabitants. Almost everybody who was left from the Order had gathered there: McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones and even Percy were there. Only George and Hermione were missing. Ron sat sulkily in one corner of the room and stared unblinkingly through one of the windows. Next to him on the floor was Lavender Brown, the dim-witted girl he had dated in his sixth year but who was almost killed by Greyback a week ago. Even considering the deep scars that now adorned her face she almost looked… well.

They must have heard Fred, because as soon as he entered all eyes were on him and the silence stretched. Then his father cleared his throat, rubbed his hands together nervously and started:

"Well, now that we are all here… there has been a new development in the Ministry." Fred groaned inwardly and he got the feeling that it was bad – really bad. "The whole last week the Ministry has tried to get a hold of all muggleborn witches and wizards, but unsurprisingly they haven't been very successful so far. Most of them are in hiding or at least on the run. The Ministry says they are just wanted for questioning and to figure out if said muggleborns are willing and able to integrate themselves into the wizarding society. We all know what that means."

His dad looked around and some of the older Order members nodded sombrely. And Fred had a feeling he knew, too.

"Well actually… no! What does it mean?" questioned his younger brother and looked at them with crossed arms. "As far as things went, Hermione and the other muggleborns would have been shipped to Azkaban not more than a week ago. So what does it mean that they want to integrate them into the society now? Those people  _ are _ integrated! They went to school with us!"

His father nodded understandingly but remained grim. Instead of him, Percy replied: "Well, according to You-Know-Who and his lackeys, this is not their proper place. Tomorrow they will release a new law… a marriage law. By this law every muggleborn will be assigned to a proper pureblood husband or wife that will help them to find a proper place in society."

Ron exploded. "But that's insane! No one will go along with that!"

Fred couldn't help but snort. "Insane? Well that's Voldi in a nutshell for you," he muurmured. But Ron must have heard him anyway.

"You find it funny now, do you, Fred? This is also Hermione we are talking about here!" Ron jumped from his chair and started pacing. Before Fred could say something in return, his father raised his hands and said soothingly:

"Yes, this is also about Hermione and I can assure you, Ron, nobody here is laughing." Fred nodded silently. "As far as we know, a proper pureblood spouse will mean a Death Eater. The law states that by marriage all belongings of the muggleborn will be handed to their spouse, who will manage them from that point on."

"But that's expropriation!" Ron exploded again, but this time his father nodded approvingly.

"That's exactly what this is. But it gets worse."

Percy opened his notebook and started explaining. "A marriage to a pureblooded spouse is supposed to ensure that the magic, which was  _ stolen _ by the muggleborns, will be returned to the wizarding lineages through the following generations. To ensure a speedy reproduction, and therefore the return of the stolen magic through an heir, a weekly copulation with the assigned spouse is required."

Fred felt almost sick at the thought and, by the look of it, Ron fared even worse. He looked almost green. "Hermione will never go along with this," he muttered and shook his head violently. "This is rape!"

Fred nodded knowingly. The girl was stubborn, she was a fighter. Ron was right. She would never let herself be handed over to a Death Eater. "What if they refuse?" he asked, and Percy sighed sadly.

"All spouses will be assigned by tomorrow morning. If the muggleborn witches and wizards are not married within the following month and if the marriage is not consummated, the muggleborn in question will be sentenced to 10 years in Azkaban. The wand of the wizard or witch will be snapped and their belongings will fall to the ministry anyway. Same goes if they fail to perform their weekly duties."

Fred was speechless, but Ron just started laughing. "Azkaban? Are you kidding me? They will just run away! Hell, I might even consider running away with all this shit happening here!"

But Percy remained collected and replied, "I am sure many muggleborns will try. But come tomorrow the ministry has the resources and the permission to track every witch or wizard through his wand - for security reasons they say. It is stated that this will ensure the peace and prevent further bloodshed."

Fred groaned. "They have really thought this through, haven't they?"

"So there is no way out? Hermione has to marry a Death Eater?" Ron wanted to know.

This time, his father answered him. "Not if she marries today. All existing marriages remain unaffected by the law."

Ron laughed a humourless laugh. "Oh, she will just love this. For Merlin's sake that girl is a virgin! And you just want to marry her off to…. whom exactly?"

Fred laughed. It was so obvious, wasn't it? "To you, you dimwit!"

Ron sputtered, before freezing in shock. He just stared mutely into the room and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You're kidding, right? I'm barely of age and… it's because I kissed her, isn't it?" He started pulling at his hair and looked from one person to the other. "Really? You want me to marry Hermione?  _ Today _ ?"

When Fred rolled his eyes and his mother nodded eagerly, he choked and started pacing again. "But I…. I can't! Don't make me do it!" He pleaded and looked at his father. It was obvious that he started to panic.

"What's wrong, Ronnekins?" Fred couldn't help but ask. "You had a crush on her since fourth year, and she's not bad on the eye either!"

Ron groaned and pulled his hair again. "I'm trapped in this, aren't I? You all already made up your mind. And I tell you, it's a horrible idea! Hermione is like a sister to me. Sure, I had a crush on her, but almost everybody had after fourth year. Don't deny it, Fred, I know you had one, too. Yes, there was some sort of tension between us during the war, but… can you imagine? Me and Hermione married? We would kill each other by the end of the week!"

His mother nodded almost understandingly and said gently, "I know this is a hard decision. But at least you have something like a history together. We can't just marry her to a stranger that is twice her age. And Hermione is your  _ friend _ . Don't you want to help her?"

Ron groaned. "Of course I want to help her. Doesn't mean I want to bed her once a week!" He shouted red-faced and looked around like a wild animal. "But that's not the only thing, right? Even if she does marry, they will look for her. She is Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake. She is the brightest witch of her age and friend of Harry Potter. Who knows what important knowledge she hides in her mind that could help us to defeat him? You-Know-Who will always feel threatened as long as she is alive. And I can't protect her, like I couldn't protect Harry and…" He started sobbing and looked pleadingly at them. "Please don't make me do this. I can't even look at her at the moment."

His mother smiled sadly. "Alright," she said and looked at the others tiredly. "Any other ideas on that matter?"

Fred laughed humorlessly. "Well, I think I should talk to Georgie, don't you think?"

His father shot him a questioning look. "Are you sure? You know we would never ask this from any of you."

He flashed them a grim smile. "Well, but I owe her a life debt. Still, I'm just not sure how she will react to the idea of having two husbands."

Ron sputtered and looked at him like he might faint any minute. "What? You both want to marry her?"

He felt more and more tired every minute. "Well, brother dear, we are magical twins, after all. And you do remember Uncles Fabian and Gideon, right?" With this, Fred straightened his back and lifted his chin. "Well if you'll all excuse me, I have a brother to convince and a woman to woo." He turned and left through the door behind him.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" he heard Ron's voice from behind. "Hermione will never go along with this." Fred shut the door with a bang, made two more steps and apparated. Ron might be right in the end. But Fred would be damned if he didn't at least try to convince her otherwise.

++++++++

George knew something was wrong with Fred. Almost half an hour ago, he started sensing feelings of anger and disbelief through the bond and one or two times he caught glimpses of Shell Cottage kitchen and the gathered Order members. Five minutes ago, Fred's feelings shifted to nervousness and something like resignation. But George couldn't make heads or tails from what he got. And so he started pacing in front of the kitchen counter. Hermione was reading on the sofa and she already started sending him worried glances twenty minutes ago. But he kept ignoring her. She would want the facts from him, facts he did not have at the moments. And he didn't want to worry her over nothing.

Finally, the crack of apparition sounded from the hallway and he leaped towards it almost instantly. Fred had landed about two steps from the front door and looked at him with wide, haunted eyes. But his expression changed to a charming smile as soon as he heard Hermione's steps behind him. Curious…

"Fred! You are back!" Hermione shouted and hurried towards his twin. But she stopped next to him and stared questioningly towards his brother. "Are you alright? You were almost gone for a week. George has been climbing the walls, even though he assured me that you weren't badly hurt." She started wringing her hands nervously.

"Don't worry kitten, I'm alright." Fred assured her, before embracing her and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. George frowned. Something was odd, very odd. But he couldn't put a finger on it. Finally, Fred released her with a charming smile and turned to him.

"George? Could we have a little chat in your room? There have been a few … developments I would like your opinion about," he informed him almost jokingly. But George could tell that the joking tone was just for show. Something was seriously wrong.

"Sure, brother dear. If you'll excuse us, Hermione? I think my brother might be up to something."

She just smiled at them and nodded. "Sure. I'll be on the sofa. Take your time!"

Fred nodded grimly in his direction and opened the door to his room. "Well, brother. You better sit down for this." And George did. And he was grateful for it.

++++++++

They had almost talked for an hour. Fred told him everything he knew, everything about the godforsaken law and Ron's reaction towards the idea of marrying Hermione. And finally, he told him about his idea of saving her themselves. Now he understood the haunted look in his brother's eyes.

"Well? What do you say, Georgie?" his twin asked almost shyly.

He cleared his throat nervously before answering, "It would be the right thing to do. And you're right. She is kind of a looker. But…"

"I know. She'll think us a bunch of perverts, won't she? Ron said she's still a virgin."

"Merlin, Fred! The girl is muggleborn. She might never have heard of magical twins." His head started spinning and he started feeling slightly ill.

"Then we need to explain it to her. She's a logical person, a thinker. Maybe we should get her a book or two." But Fred started pulling his hair. "Arrrgh, but there is no  _ time _ ! It needs to be done today…"

"This is a nightmare… Have you even ever bedded a virgin? Forget about it, I know you haven't. Me neither," he said and started shaking his head helplessly. They had dated Angelina and Katie, and also collected some experiences in bed with them. But their twin bond made the whole affair awkward and they finally decided that dating two separate women was a bad idea. It just felt voyeuristic and … wrong.

"Maybe we should ask mum to talk to her," Fred suggested. "I really don't want to be the one to break the news to her. If she doesn't hex us, she still might not even believe us."

"Not a bad idea, Forge. Let's pop into Shell Cottage and convince her to join us. Merlin, I still can't believe we are doing this."

"Neither can I Gred, neither can I."

++++++++

In the end, they brought their mum as well as Professor McGonagall. The woman had leapt at the chance of seeing her favourite lion cub and helping her to make the right decision. George still couldn't believe that their former Head of House considered them a good match for Hermione Granger. But considering the limited choices, they might as well be.

The girl was still reading on the sofa. The book on her lap was an ancient looking tome on healing potions that she must have brought with her. At least, George couldn't remember owning such a thing. As soon as they entered the room, she looked up at them and her brows furrowed worriedly when she sighted their mother and the Professor. Immediately, she shifted on the sofa and her relaxed pose changed to one that was fitting for the high alert and intelligent student that she was.

"Professor McGonagall, Mrs Weasley! How have you been? Is everybody alright?"

His mother smiled warmly at her and pulled her from her sitting position up in a motherly hug. "Hermione dear! It's Molly to you! You are family after all so let's skip all these formalities!"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "What are you doing here? Not that I am complaining. But I wasn't expecting any of you for at least some days."

McGonagall smiled a tight-lipped smile. "Unfortunately, there have been some unpleasant developments and the Ministry will release a new law by tomorrow. As it directly affects you, we have come to help you discuss your possible options."

Hermione nodded and hinted towards the sitting area. "Shall we sit down for this?" The women nodded and chose the two wing chairs to sit down on. Hermione immediately moved to the sofa and pulled a small notebook and a pen from behind her back and stared at them eagerly. But he and Fred didn't move an inch and just kept staring at the two women and tried to figure out if they should even stay for the first part of the conversation. George, at least, didn't really fancy being here when they broke the news to her. But their mum just huffed impatiently and motioned towards the sofa.

"Oh, will you two just sit down? You look like you are about to bolt from the room any minute." George nodded, because that's exactly how he felt. But Fred just pulled him by the arm and so they finally sat down to Hermione's left side.

Hermione started clicking the pen nervously and for a moment nobody spoke. Finally, she seemed to lose patience and looked at them with raised eyebrows. "Well? What is this law?"

The professor sighed tiredly. "It's a Marriage Law, child," she said mildly but Hermione just kept staring at her. Obviously, she was waiting for more information. And so, McGonagall started to tell her everything that Fred had told him earlier. After five minutes, Hermione's face seemed almost expressionless. It was a mask of total indifference. As the professor finally finished explaining the possible punishments for noncompliance, Hermione just kept on staring. She didn't even blink. It was kind of scary to watch.

"Hermione? Are you alright, dear?" their mother asked after several long moments of silence. But there still wasn't any reaction from the girl.

"I think McGonagall broke her." Fred murmured to him, but he just shook his head. No, that wasn't it. She was looking for a solution to the problem. Her highly analytical mind started dissecting all given information and was looking for a loophole. Another minute trickled by until she finally leaped from the sofa and shouted. "I need to talk to Ron. There might still be hope."

George groaned inwardly. And here we go, he thought. Molly studied her with a sad expression. "No dear, please sit down. We already talked to Ron this morning. He already knows."

Hermione nodded determinedly. "That's good then. This should save us some time. Do you know anybody that could perform the ceremony?"

Fred winced and looked helplessly towards the two older women. But they seemed to be as helpless as they felt themselves.

"He won't do it, Hermione." George finally managed to bite out. And immediately the girl stilled and blinked confusedly towards him.

"He won't? But we... I thought...we are... I don't understand!" She was looking for words but didn't seem to find any. And so, she just looked helplessly from one person to the other. Molly gently tried to explain.

"Ron is not at a very good place at the moment, mentally, I mean. He... I think he needs time to comprehend what...and with Harry..."

"But there is no time!" she shrieked and bolted from the sofa. "We need to do it today or I... I have to..." She shuddered.

"We won't let you marry a Death Eater, dear." Professor McGonagall tried to soothe her. But Hermione's mind was already back in overdrive.

"Fleeing is not an option," she murmured and started pacing. "They will have a way to track our magic through the wand. And wandless magic isn't really an option for me at the moment." McGonagall nodded affirmingly. Hermione sighed. "Well, I could always go muggle. What if I leave my wand with any of you and just move to another part of Britain? Hell, I could even move to France if need be." She looked at them questioningly. "Would that work?"

Molly nodded sadly. "It might. But would you really want to do it? You are like a daughter to me and I kind of thought..." She looked sombrely towards Hermione.

Professor McGonagall fixed the girl with a calculating expression. "Miss Granger. I think you need to ask yourself if there is still hope for us to win this war. I don't know what you, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley did during the last year. But I have gotten the impression that Professor Dumbledore left you some kind of orders. I strongly encourage you to consider if there is still hope to fulfil these orders. If so, then we should try to find a way to keep you with us and make a plan."

These words seemed to have the desired effect, as Hermione stopped pacing and started thinking, while chewing on her bottom lip. She didn't say anything for a long time, but her eyes moved from one side to the other as if she was reading an imaginary book. Finally, she said: "Well, there still might be hope, if we ignore the contents of the prophecy. As I don't particularly believe in divination and most prophecies seem rather self-fulfilling, we could give it a try. But for this purpose, we would need a separate meeting with some trusted Order members to work on a strategy for the future. That is, if you would be willing to try something against him."

Professor McGonagall nodded grimly. "I would be very happy to try something, as you put it. And I am sure I am not the only one we could trust with your task, whatever it might be." She pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked towards the twins. They nodded determinedly. "Well in this case, it would be quite inevitable for you to get married today. Luckily the Messrs Weasley have volunteered to be of service to you."

Hermione furrowed her brows and moved her glance towards him and Fred. She watched them somewhat puzzled. "Is that true? One of you would marry me?" she asked in a small but hopeful voice. But the twins could only smile embarrassedly and reply:

"Well, not exactly, no." George cleared his throat somewhat nervously. "You see, Fred and I are magical twins so we… that is…"

"You would need to marry both of us." Fred finished for him. He couldn't help but blush and he knew Fred did so too. Still, they forced themselves to meet her eyes directly and not shy from her gaze. And Hermione's gaze was analysing them and their offer. She opened her mouth for a reply but closed it again before looking around with wild eyes. It kind of gave her the look of an enraged goldfish.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to marry both of you?"

They nodded.

"But, is this even legal? I mean… scratch that - of course it must be legal. Otherwise you wouldn't have proposed this." She started gnawing on her lip again and looking helplessly towards the two other women and then back at them. "Well I don't  _ know _ . I mean I am not very… I mean I haven't… Merlin. I don't even know how to put this… This is so out of my comfort zone…"

His mum nodded understandingly. "We know, dear. And believe me, we wouldn't have suggested it if we knew any other alternative. But look at it this way. You are already family and I am sure the boys would treat you well. They are good boys, you know."

Hermione sighed. "Of course, I know. Really, I do! It's just so… I mean…" He shifted her gaze towards them. "Do you really want this? I can't even imagine ruining one life, even less two! This wouldn't just be for some months, this marriage would be for life, right?"

They nodded solemnly and Fred said, "And we would do it anyway. Hermione you are our friend, of course we want to help you. Hell, you saved my life a week ago. Now let me return this favour."

This was obviously the wrong thing to say as the girl sent them a wide-eyed look and shouted, "Is that what this is about? You owe me a life debt? Well, let me tell you something: you don't! I don't want it. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for the ugly bookworm that your little brother spurned."

She started pacing again, but this time she looked more like a caged lioness. Finally, she huffed, "I need out. I can't… I need to think." She bolted from the room, rushed through the door to her room and shut it with a loud bang. They heard the lock click before the room fell silent.

"Well, this could have gone better," George mused before he buried his face into his hands.

"Don't worry, brother dear. She will come around."

The women nodded. "She is a logical creature after all." McGonagall added. And George sincerely hoped they were right.


	3. On how to date a magical twin - or both

Chapter 3: On how to date a magical twin - or both

Hermione was trapped and she knew it. If they wanted to still bring down Voldemort, then she would have to be there to see it all through. But the only way to do it was to marry – today. And the only willing candidates seemed to be Fred and George Weasley. Marrying one of them would be… challenging. Yes, they were friends – somehow. But they weren't exactly soulmates – not in the slightest. She was a bookworm extraordinaire and they were … lively. And this was putting it mildly. Marrying both of them seemed impossible which was … unfortunate. Because no matter how much she thought about it, it was the only way for her to stay in Britain. Yes, she could hide as a muggle in the middle of London. But how long would it take this maniac who called himself the Dark Lord to take over the muggle world as well? Because she had no doubt that he would try. And she simply couldn't let this happen.

But could she do this to Fred and George? And could she do this to herself? Mrs Weasley had unmistakably explained that the marriage law required weekly intercourse, which was bad enough as a virgin. Because this was what she was: a virgin. Being married to two husbands would therefore entail doing it twice a week or with both of them at the same time – which was definitely not an option. And then there was the whole business with the magical twins. She knew next to nothing about it! Of course, she had heard the term and she noticed that both of them sometimes finished each other's sentences, but that was about it. Why were they required to marry the same woman? What bloke would even want to share?

Arrrgh… she needed facts. But those she could only get from the twins. And at the moment, she couldn't even look at them.

How was she supposed to do this? Living with them might not be so bad. She had managed just fine with George for a week. But sleeping with them? Should she just lay back and think of England? Maybe. But she couldn't help herself and mourned for all her girlish fantasies of love and marriage that she had secretly cultivated for years. These things now seemed totally out of reach for her… and she hated it! Didn't she deserve at least an ounce of happiness?

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Hermione? Are you still in there?" shouted one of the twins, but she really couldn't tell which one. It was impossible recognizing them by only their voice. "Please come out and talk to us. Fred didn't mean it like this, I swear!"

So it was George talking to her then. Good. She had a feeling George she could handle. She had lived with him for almost a week and he had seen her at her lowest. So if there was somebody she could talk to, then it was him. "I really don't think I can face the four of you just now. Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing at the moment. But maybe you could come in and talk to me for a bit?"

"Sure." He sounded almost relieved.

Hermione unlocked the door and moved back to the window. A moment later, the door was slowly pushed open and George stepped through. He looked as nervous as she felt, and Hermione realized that it might be as awkward for him as it was for her.

"Hi!" he greeted her sheepishly and smiled. Hermione couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Should we maybe sit down for this? I mean, this feels awkward enough as it is."

He laughed. "You don't say. Well, let's sit on the bed then, shall we?"

Hermione nodded and sat down on top of the brightly coloured duvet. George sat down to her left and pulled one leg up, so he could turn towards her.

"I imagine you have like a million questions," he started almost jokingly. "Well, ask away. I won't judge."

She nodded gratefully. "Would you mind explaining this twin bond to me? I know next to nothing about it, but I have the feeling this is important. Why can't I, for example, just marry one of you? I must confess this would make thinks a lot easier for me."

George didn't seem offended and simply smiled encouragingly. "Twin bonds are kind of rare, but not unheard of. My uncles, Fabian and Gideon, mum's brothers, had one. We were explained that it is kind of a Prewett thing. Every generation of Prewetts has its pair of magical twins." He smiled proudly. "Of course I can't tell you much about the others. But I can tell you about me and Fred."

Hermione nodded happily. "That would be great!"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. Some say it is a soul split into two, but this might be kind of romanticized. Fact is that our magic is strongly linked to each other. Our wands are brother wands and contain a heartstring from the same dragon. But that still doesn't say much, does it? We kind of… can hear each other's thoughts. Not always, no. But especially when strong feelings are involved or when we are physically close to each other. It gets more difficult with distance but if we focus strong enough it is still possible."

She was awed. "Wow! This really sounds kind of magical," she admitted, and George smiled.

"Well I don't know any different but I imagine it must be kind of lonely without a magical twin." He winked at her. "But it also definitely has its downsides. Privacy is kind of impossible - especially when strong feelings are involved. Sometimes you suddenly sense pictures and most of the time you'd really rather not." He blushed and Hermione got the meaning.

She gulped. "So, you mean that even if I would be just with one of you, the other one might still see?" she asked mortified and looked at him for confirmation.

George nodded. "Yeah. I know this kind of sucks. And I know it will make things even more awkward. But it gets worse. Sometimes we can also feel…" Now he positively looked beet-red and Hermione imagined she looked kind of the same. She really wished she never needed this kind of knowledge and this was kind of a new experience to her – not wanting to know.

"Okay, stop!" she pleaded and took some deep breaths. "I kind of need a moment."

"Sure." George said and leaned back into the duvet. He folded his arms behind his head and stared silently at the ceiling. Hermione was thankful for it. She needed time to compose herself and she really didn't want an audience for that.

Finally, she managed to find her way back to herself. She wiped her hands on her trousers and said, "So, have you tried with two different women?" she asked shyly.

George snorted. "Do you ask if I am still a virgin? No, I am not, and neither is Fred. We have tried with two separate witches for some time. Let me just say, that we will not repeat this experience."

Hermione nodded understandingly but couldn't help but feel intimidated at the same time. So, they were kind of experienced in this area. But who was she kidding? Probably almost everyone her age was by now. Well, it couldn't be helped. But they deserved to know.

"George? If we are really going to do this, then you should probably know that I am kind of new to all of this. I kind of kissed Ron… and Victor a few years ago, but that's kind of it."

But George didn't laugh or make fun of her. Instead, he waggled his eyebrows and said, "You snogged Victor Krum? Well, if I wasn't a bloke, I would be kind of jealous."

She laughed and couldn't help but feel relieved. "Well, it was kind of nice…" she teased, and George snorted.

"Just nice, eh? Well, I think Fred and I can do better than nice."

Hermione spluttered. "George!" she said and hid her face embarrassedly. "Gosh, I can't even comprehend kissing you, let alone…" She groaned. "See? I can't even say it! How is this supposed to work?"

He snorted. "Well, I trust you do know the mechanics. Otherwise, my mum might wanna give you the talk. I'm sure she will be very happy to explain everything to you."

"No thanks!" she hastily refused. "I have been through this stuff once with my mum. And I'd rather not repeat this experience. Might have been one of the most embarrassing moments of my life."

He nodded understandingly. "Oh, believe me, I know. Fred and I had this kind of talk with my father some years ago. And we had the magical twin version. I couldn't look at dad for days!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Merlin! This must have been the stuff that nightmares are made of."

He nodded eagerly, but his eyes glimmered with mischief. But finally, he sobered and asked, "Well? What do you say, Hermione? Will you give us a try?"

She sighed heavily. "It's not like I have much of an option, you know? Don't get me wrong, I really am grateful to you both. This could end so much worse for me. But I can't help but think that I will be a total disappointment to the both of you."

George propped himself up on the bed and looked at her sternly. "Do you trust me, Hermione?" he asked her.

She nodded silently and gazed into his eyes. "I do."

"Good," he said and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Because trust will be very important - for all of us. Now listen to me: I am not disappointed and I am quite sure I won't be in the future. Same goes for Fred. It doesn't matter how much experience you have or don't have. This is not an exam, Hermione. Alright?"

She nodded again and felt the tears that were collecting in her eyes. But she would not cry over this. It wasn't fair to the boys, who tried to make this whole experience as bearable as possible for her. "Alright," she said and even managed a small smile. "Let's do this then."

At this, George's face broke into a huge smile and before she even had time to react, he had pulled her into a strong embrace. "Alright Hermione, but you should probably talk to Fred first. I can feel his nervousness the whole time and it kind of drives me up the wall."

She nodded into his chest. And for a moment she almost didn't want to let him go.

++++++++

Fred hated waiting, but this was what he did for almost an hour. First, they had waited all together, but after 15 minutes they decided that Hermione wouldn't come out on her own. She had almost fled from the room and Fred could totally understand. If this whole situation was already strange for him, then it was even more so for her. But they needed a decision from her soon because their time was running out. It was already noon and he didn't know how long it would take the girl to surrender to her fate. Because that was the logical choice and she would recognize it.

"I will go and talk to her," George finally said and Fred was thankful for it. His twin seemed to have formed some kind of friendly relationship with her and he would probably be the one she would most likely agree to talk to. His mother and McGonagall seemed to agree.

"You just do that, George. I'm sure it will all be well. The Professor and I will go back to Shell Cottage and start preparing everything for your nuptials. Be back around 4, if you can manage. We will need some time to prepare the girl after all." She smiled at them. "You know I am proud of you boys, right?"

They both flashed her a toothy grin. " 'Course we know, mum."

She ruffled their hair. "Well then. Try to wear something suitable, will you? It is the girl's wedding after all."

And with a pop, they were off. George left him soon after and so Fred remained there alone. Obviously, his brother was kind of successful talking to her, because she let him in and didn't throw him back out for almost 30 minutes. Finally, the door opened again, and George marched out with Hermione in tow. He grinned at him victoriously and Fred couldn't help but feel relieved. Somehow his twin had managed to convince her.

The girl moved slowly towards him but stilled when she was almost in front of him. George instead moved past him, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of butterbeer.

"I'll be in my room, if any of you need me," he shouted towards them and left almost cheerfully. Fred sighed.

"Shall we move to the sofa?" he asked her, and she nodded. Hermione looked much better now, but she still behaved kind of skittish around him. He'd have to work on this. They sat down next to each other, with an arm's length between them. And before he could say anything, Hermione started nervously:

"I am sorry I bolted from the room earlier. It was immature and I was behaving like a coward. I apologize."

He snorted. "No worries. I totally get it. I'm glad you came back though." He smiled cheekily at her. "It's true that I wouldn't have immediately considered you marriage material. But I'm sure as hell not complaining." He grinned. "Because you are kind of hot."

Hermione huffed and slapped his leg accusingly. "Fred! Don't you dare make fun of this!"

"I'm not!" he defended himself with a raised hand. "Honestly!" She slapped him again. "Ouch! Stop!" She hadn't really hurt him, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Hermione. I really like you. You are intelligent and you kind of have a devious streak that needs cultivating." She huffed again, but now there was a little smile hiding at the corners of her mouth. And she wasn't hitting him any longer. That was a good sign.

"And I gather you'd like to help me cultivate my devious side?" she asked with challenging eyebrows.

"Sure! I'd love to! Imagine what we could do to the likes of Umbridge and the bunch of new Death Eater teachers! We could run a completely new brand of devious little joke items to make their lives a living hell!"

Hermione giggled. "I confess I kind of like that idea."

"See? You, George and I will be brilliant together! And if there are some snogging sessions involved I sure as hell won't complain." He waggled his eyebrows at her, but she swatted him again.

"Fred!" she squeaked and moved away from him. But he just grabbed her around the middle and pulled her towards him.

"Nah, come on kitten! I know you love my cheeky side." He blew her a kiss and winked at her. But she just shrieked and started giggling. "Fred Weasley. I swear I will hex you if you don't stop this nonsense instantly!"

He shrugged. "Okay." She relaxed slightly, but just as soon as she wanted to move away from him, he pulled her back into a lingering kiss. She stiffened and stared at him with wild eyes, but Fred decided to enjoy this moment. He didn't want to give her his first kiss at the goddamned wedding ceremony in front of everybody. And her lips were warm and soft, and he could taste tea and vanilla in her breath. He hummed happily, his lips slowly moving against hers, while his tongue danced around hers. When he finally pulled back, she still stared at him, her mouth open and forming a surprized but silent "Oh".

He laughed boyishly. "Oh, Granger! George and I will charm your socks off. You just wait!"

She laughed weakly. "I am not worried about my socks, you know," she murmured, and Fred laughed. Suddenly, he was kind of looking forward to this.


	4. To the bride and the grooms!

Chapter 4: To the bride and the grooms!

George was getting more and more antsy in his room. He regretted not silencing the door, because he heard Hermione squeaking and Fred laughing on the other side. But he had silently promised his brother 30 minutes to work this out and so he didn't move an inch. But he wanted to. He forced himself to tamper down the twin bond to give them a modicum of privacy. There wouldn't be any between them soon enough.

Finally, the time was up, and George almost bolted from his room. He found Fred lounging on the sofa with a satisfied smirk, while Hermione was puttering around the kitchen. But as she hadn't fled the room or was screaming at his twin everything must have worked out somehow.

They didn't talk much in the following hour and George was thankful for it. Hermione finally left the room without breathing as much as a word and George could hear the shower soon after. He looked at Fred with a raised eyebrow. "Anything you want to confess?"

"Nope!" Fred replied cheekily while popping the "p".

George shook his head disapprovingly. "Fred, I swear, if you scare the girl off…"

"Nah, don't worry Georgie. I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good. Because I kind of like her, you know?"

Fred laughed. "I know you do. As well as you know that I do too." They grinned at each other.

"Let's get ready, shall we? We don't wanna disappoint our girl after all." George suggested and Fred grinned.

"Our girl. I love how that sounds."

"Me too."

++++++++

George and his twin picked matching dress robes in a rich dark green colour that brilliantly matched with their hair and eye colour. That's at least what they told themselves. They apparated to Shell Cottage without waiting up for Hermione, as they knew that their mother would be here soon to prepare the bride for the ceremony - whatever that meant. Shell Cottage was thankfully almost empty. Only their parents, Professor McGonagall, Bill and Fleur were still there, and George was glad for it. He didn't want a big wedding reception anyway. And seeing Ron would have upset Hermione even more. So it was good that the git was being a coward once more.

Their mother greeted them with a silent nod and smiled at them lovingly before saying her goodbyes and apparating back to their flat. She had barely left when their father and the Professor pulled them aside into the sitting room and sat them down at the table.

"I'm glad you could figure this out," their dad said in a serious tone. "I trust you will treat her as the gentlemen I have raised you to be."

They nodded in unison. " 'Course we will."

This seemed to satisfy him, and he nodded proudly.

"Well gentlemen," Professor McGonagall began "I recommend that you return to your flat after the ceremony. You will have three days to enjoy your honeymoon there. But remember, that you only have until midnight before at least one of you… well I hope I don't need to spell this out for you. I will send you a Patronus with further instructions for a small order meeting. We need to start planning soon to end this as soon as possible."

They nodded but the Professor continued.

"This marriage will keep the ministry at bay for some time. They will need to stick to the official channels to get hold of you. Still I can assure you that they will still try to get a hold on Hermione, one way or the other. So it is important that you follow all the regulations of this law. So, no contraceptives, as the official reason behind this law is to restore the stolen magic by reproduction. This is, of course, utter nonsense, but we'll still need to follow their rules and play their game."

Fred and George nodded weakly. The Weasleys have always been a fertile bunch, but it couldn't be helped now. They would deal with the consequences when they arose.

"Of course, Professor," George replied solemnly.

The other witch smiled fondly at him and his twin. "I have no doubts that you will be able to protect her. But I must strongly advise you: no funny business with the Ministry in the near future! You need to stay off their radar as long as possible. For now, they will have their hand occupied with all the other muggleborns."

They nodded and it was only a moment later that Professor McGonagall got up, saying: "Well then, gentlemen. Good luck!"

George smiled. He had the feeling they would need it.

++++++++

The ceremony was kind of a blur for George. To all their astonishments, it was performed by Percy, who seemed to have the necessary Ministry clearance to perform such an act. George was still flabbergasted that he was willing to help them. Even if they had reconciled a week ago, he was putting himself in big trouble for them. Because the ministry would be able to track the person that had performed the ceremony for Hermione and George had no doubt that they would try to hold it against Percy. He was doing nothing wrong, of course. But it would still make things more difficult for him in the future.

Hermione wore a simple but elegant gown in pale green and her hair was tamed into a plaited crown, from which several hair strands escaped and fell down her shoulders and back in soft ringlets. She looked stunning.

They met her outside at the beach together with all the other men that were present for the ceremony. She walked towards them with Fleur, their mum and Professor McGonagall, and George felt his heart flutter. The last time he had seen her as beautiful was at the Yule Ball in her fourth year, but now she looked even more divine. He felt Fred's hand close around his own encouragingly and his nerves immediately calmed. They could do this, as long as they were together. No matter what life kept throwing at them. Together, they would muster it all and stand proudly while doing so.

The wedding vows were simplistic but, as it wasn't a love marriage, George was grateful for it. They promised each other fidelity, loyalty, protection and companionship and soon after, simple golden wedding bands were exchanged that only their spouses could remove. Finally, Percy took his wand and cast the spell that bound their magic together and he watched fascinated as golden strands of magic wove themselves around their entwined hands. He felt the warm tingle of magic on his skin paired with a rush of warm and untarnished energy that settled into his magical core and for a moment he could feel her there - Hermione. This was how her magic felt. She was now a part of him. A moment later, the golden strands disappeared, but the feeling in his chest remained. He would be able to feel her there forever, he knew.

George felt his focus shift back to reality. Their guests smiled encouragingly at them, while Percy cleared his throat and said, "And I therefore proclaim you husbands and wife. Congratulations. You may now seal this marriage with a kiss." He gulped but nodded.

"You go first." he heard his twin's voice within his head and nodded inwardly. Then he slowly turned towards Hermione and smiled. She was looking up at him trustingly and he gently took her by the chin and pulled her towards him. He settled for a chaste kiss on the lips that was over after a second. It was just enough of a kiss to make it count. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable in front of everybody, and he didn't really fancy a snog at the moment anyway. It seemed to have been the right thing to do because Hermione smiled at him shyly with pinkish cheeks. He smiled back at her warmly.

Then it was Fred's turn. His twin seemed to have made the same decision, as he also settled for a quick and chaste peck on the lips which Hermione accepted casually. As he pulled back from her, the small crowd cheered happily at them and George caught a self-satisfied glimmer in his twin's eye that made him pause. But he didn't have time to dwell on it now.

"To the bride and the grooms!" his brother Bill shouted and raised a flute of champagne towards them. Just then, George realized that they were also given a glass each which was now in their hands.

"To the bride and the grooms!" the rest of the party shouted and raised their glasses. And so, they drank together. He looked towards Hermione who was watching everybody with pink cheeks and sipped her champagne reluctantly. Fred, on the other hand, just gulped his drink down and nudged him with his elbow. " _ Let's get out of here _ !" he suggested through their bond and George agreed. He didn't really fancy a big party and he was sure Hermione didn't fancy one either. And so, they each grabbed one of her hands and bowed toward their guest.

"It was lovely of you…" Fred started. "To join us this beautiful evening." George finished for him. "But we will be off now."

"Our honeymoon awaits!" Fred proclaimed and grinned towards them. Their mother huffed and waved at them tearily. But Fred just saluted cheekily and then whisked them away though a sidelong apparition.

++++++++

They landed in the middle of their living room with an elegant plop. For a moment, none of them moved and they all just clung to one another and stared into the empty flat. Finally, Fred cleared his throat nervously and said, "Well, that was that." George snorted and even Hermione laughed weakly. Finally, Fred pulled away from them and opened his collar, before throwing himself on the sofa. There, he propped up his legs and watched them neutrally.

Hermione looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Fred? What are you doing?" she asked somewhat bewildered.

"I thought I would give you lovebirds some privacy," he replied and pulled a small flask from below his dress robes and held it towards them. It contained a thick, dark purple potion. "Dreamless sleep - I won't feel a thing," he promised and looked at them seriously. "We can't do this every time; this stuff is quite addictive. But today will be awkward enough as it is and this will make it easier, on all of us."

Hermione nodded gratefully and moved towards Fred to give him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Fred. I appreciate it," she said and stepped back towards George.

" _ Are you sure, Fred _ ?" he asked his brother through the twin bond.

" _ She trusts you more than me, so I think you would be more suitable to help her through this _ ," Fred explained to him silently and he nodded. Then he looked towards Hermione who smiled at him faintly.

"Shall we then?" he asked and offered her his arm. Hermione exhaled nervously and nodded. Just as she took his arm, they saw Fred open the bottle of dreamless sleep and toasting silently towards them. George nodded towards him, before turning around and pulling Hermione with him. He didn't look back.

++++++++

Hermione felt absolutely paralyzed when she heard the bedroom door close behind her. George had taken her to his bedroom without hesitation and she realized that she had never been to his room before. The walls here were painted in a dark red tone, but Hermione could make out golden lines on the wall to her right side that formed a breath-taking and detailed drawing of Hogwarts. And she couldn't help but step towards it and trace one of the lines with her finger.

"You like it?" George asked behind her and stepped closer.

"Of course I do. I've never seen anything like it. It's beautiful!" she admitted and kept taking in all the details of the picture. To the left side of the castle the Whomping Willow stood in the background of the picture and behind it there was even the silhouette of a centaur visible. It was awe-inspiring.

"Good," George replied and suddenly his arms encircled her from behind. Hermione couldn't help but feel startled, but she forced herself to remain calm. It was only George, she told herself, and he wouldn't hurt her.

"Who's the artist?" she asked lightly and heard him chuckle.

"Well, me of course. I am the more artistic of the two of us and I quite enjoy drawing."

"I didn't know," she admitted somewhat embarrassed. "In fact, I think I don't know much about either of you. In my head, you are still only the Quidditch obsessed pranksters I knew from Hogwarts. But I realize that this is not nearly everything to you." Suddenly, she felt his head resting on her shoulder before his arms pulled her even closer.

"And I am sure there is also more to you then the bossy know-it-all that Ron complained about half the time," he chuckled, and she nodded. She totally got his point. They were all different people in private. There would be time to get to know each other in the next weeks and months, just not right now…

"What would you like me to do?" she finally asked and shifted nervously. "Should I lie down on the bed or remove my clothes first? Or I could remove your clothes for you if you like…" she suggested but George just shook his head on her shoulder. He slowly stepped back from her and moved around so that he was suddenly in front of her with his back to the wall. From there, he watched her with a gentle expression.

"Try to relax, Hermione. And just do what feels right to you, okay?" She nodded confusedly but didn't say anything.

"Now, may I kiss you?" he asked and studied her with warm, brown eyes. She felt her mouth go dry but nodded anyway. Why did her heart suddenly beat like crazy? 

George smiled and Hermione could see him stepping closer, his hands reaching for his cheeks. Moments later she felt them there, his thumbs stroking her skin oh so gently before he leaned down and his lips connected with hers. They were warm and soft and gentle, and Hermione couldn't help but release a relieved sigh. Somehow kissing him did not feel as awkward as she had expected, it was kind of nice actually. And so it was only moments until she could feel herself growing bolder and her teeth started to nibble at his bottom lip, which made him smile against her mouth. Meanwhile, he started tracing her cheek with his thumb before sneaking his other hand around and capturing her neck. Then he deepened the kiss. It wasn't a heated kiss, more a playful exploration of each other. But it was exactly what she needed, her panicked heart calming somewhat down as she got used to the feeling of him. Their tongues danced around each other, George seeming to chase hers in her mouth, catching her once, twice without effort before changing the game and starting to suck her bottom lip. Hermione let him do it, enjoying the playfulness of it, and as she relaxed more and more she started running her hands up and down at his back. She felt his hands moving down too, tracing her spine and finally stopping at her hips, where they came to rest. Then he groaned and pulled her even closer, his tongue plunging into her mouth as he did so. Hermione gasped, surprised by his sudden shift of behaviour, but giving herself an internal nudge she kissed him back, like she had never kissed someone before. It was wet and hot and brilliant, her heart fluttering excitedly in her chest as she realized that she, not someone else, was in the centre of that handsome man’s attention. And gods he could kiss!

Without thinking about it, she moved forward and backed him into the wall that she had admired only minutes ago. George moved willingly, his lips smiling against her mouth as his hands roamed all over her back. Suddenly, they stopped at the zipper of her dress and George interrupted the kiss, looking at her with brown, kind eyes.

"May I?" he asked, smiling shyly. Hermione didn't know how to reply. Of course, she knew that the gown would have to come off sooner or later, but she couldn't help but feel extremely uncomfortable at the thought. Too many scars and imperfections were hidden beneath.

"What's wrong?" he asked after she just kept staring at him with wide eyes. She sighed but still couldn't manage a reply. Instead, she embraced him tightly and rested her head on his shoulder. He simply hugged her back and traced her back soothingly.

"I have collected quite a few scars during the war." Hermione finally admitted, her voice trembling. "I guess I just feel uncomfortable with you seeing them. Some are quite ugly."

George huffed. "I've got a few scars myself. Don't worry. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Do you wanna see?" 

His scars? Well, she guessed she would see them soon anyway. And somehow it felt better if he was the one undressing first. And so she nodded, her bottom lip shyly caught between her teeth.

George nodded seemingly unfazed, stepped back from her and moved into the room where he stopped at the end of the bed. There he started unbuttoning his cuffs and collar with slow, measured movements. Hermione didn't dare to move and just followed him with her eyes as he stripped off his robe, shirt and after that his black trousers and socks. When he finally stopped undressing, he was standing before her only clad in his black boxers. She gulped and her eyes involuntarily roamed across his muscled arms and chest. He really  _ was _ fit. 

"You'll have to come closer, if you want to see them, you know?" he teased, looking at her challengingly. He was right, of course. Hermione nodded, smiled and with four quick steps, she was in front of him. She did not look at his body though, she did not want to seem like a hussy, so instead she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Well, where are they?" she asked, but he simply smiled at her.

George shrugged. “I won’t make it that easy for you, Hermione. You’ll have to search for them,” he said, crossing his arms behind his head. "Well, go on. I won't move."

Hermione huffed, but finally the curiosity won out. She studied his chest and arms and finally found a faint but still visible scar on his right forearm that looked like a blob. It was the size of a child's hand and had kind of a whitish colour. "What's this one?" she found herself asking, gently tracing it with her index finger.

George smiled. "It's from a potions accident about fourteen months ago. You know Fred and I design our products ourselves. Sometimes things go a bit wrong.” He shrugged. “We were working on a new skin tonic to remove freckles for the wonder witch series, but we must have calculated the amount of mooncalf hair wrong." Hermione nodded satisfied and moved on. There were no more scars at his front, but she found a big and angry red scar on his left shoulder blade. It was thrice as big as the other one and looked quite fresh. She gulped and didn't dare to touch it.

"And this one?" she asked uncomfortably and traced his spine instead. He shuddered.

"That's from the battle a week ago. I was hit with a quite nasty curse when I was helping Fred get back into the Great Hall to see Madame Pomfrey. Must have been a stray curse, because I didn't see anybody cast it - which is quite annoying to be honest." She snorted. Only one of the twins could talk about an injury quite as casually. 

With a headshake Hermione continued her exploration but didn't find anything else, so she moved back in front of him.

"There's nothing else," she stated and couldn't help sounding a bit disappointed. But George just raised his eyebrows questioningly at her.

"Really? Aren't you forgetting something?" he motioned towards his missing ear. Hermione's cheeks reddened. She had really forgotten about this injury, as she simply stopped noticing it after a while. But for him it was probably the worst of his injuries, as it made him clearly distinguishable from his twin - a thing they always had tried to make as difficult as possible.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that one," she admitted and smiled sheepishly. George simply smiled at her.

"You see? I'm also far from perfect. Even if I let everybody believe otherwise." He snorted. 

Still, he had gotten the message across and indeed Hermione started to feel better, re-assured by the casual manner with which he treated his own scars and imperfections. She nodded and before she could lose her nerves, she stepped forward and kissed him. She moved her hands around him and rested them at the small of his back. George didn't seem uncomfortable in the least, even though he was almost naked now. Instead he hummed happily and kissed her back, his lips dancing against hers without hesitation. Then, his arms pulled her close and he moved them across her shoulder blades until they stilled at the zipper of her gown. Only then he broke the kiss, looking at her questioningly. 

Hermione locked eyes with him, took a deep breath and even though her heart shuddered with nervousness she nodded. He smiled brightly at her, before capturing her lips into another kiss. This time, he kissed her hungrily and Hermione lost herself quickly within the kiss. And so she only noticed that he had opened her gown when his hands slid the silky fabric down from her shoulders. The wedding gown glided to the floor almost silently and left Hermione in her knickers and her bra in front of him. But he didn't even look at her and just pulled her closer, not even interrupting their kiss.

Instead, his hands roamed over the naked skin on her back and waist, and Hermione could feel goose bumps spreading on her skin due to his touch. Involuntarily, she shivered.

"You alright?" he murmured against her mouth, but his eyes were open now, looking at her full of concern.

"Just a bit cold," she lied and before she could lose her nerve, she pulled him close again. George went willingly, his body connecting with hers like it was the most natural thing for him, not pressing her, only taking what she was willing to give. 

Still, he somehow must have sensed her uneasiness, as a moment later he whispered: "Then let's hide below these covers." She did not even have time to answer, as he pulled her into another kiss, while moving into her direction ever so slowly. Just as she realized what he was doing, she stumbled across the bedframe and landed on top of the orange bed cover with a small squeak. George chuckled, climbing into the bed next to her before pulling an extra blanket over their bodies. 

Without hesitation he snuggled closer to her, his arm coming around her waist while his cheek came to rest against her temple. At first, Hermione didn't dare to move because her brain suddenly registered that they were in bed and she knew what would happen there soon. And the thought of them going any further made her hands sweat with uneasiness. Good Godric, how was this ever supposed to work?

“Relax.” George's words interrupted her train of thoughts and when he leaned down, pulling her into another very gentle kiss, she felt herself sigh, the tight knot in her belly slowly loosening. She did not even have to push herself to kiss him back, her hands reaching for his neck on their own, pulling him closer against her. She could not have said how long they kept kissing, her mind only vaguely registering George’s hands that had started to run through her curls, the magic holding them together having seemingly worn off. She did not mind, as it felt heavenly when his fingers gently kneaded her locks, his nails scratching over her scalp in a way that wanted to make her purr. Gods, he really knew what he was doing, Hermione thought, unconsciously leaning her head against his hands. Finally she seemed to find her courage again, her hands reaching for his chest, trailing across the muscles with slow, curious movements. He felt really good, she thought, noting the soft hair that was scarcely scattered across his chest and the hardening of his nipples, as her fingers brushed against them. He moaned and Hermione, suddenly feeling bold trailed her hands down his sides, where they started playing with the hem of his boxers and the skin above. This time, George shuddered against her.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?" he murmured huskily and just now Hermione realized that he was panting. She shook her head mutely.

"I love how you taste," he admitted, "and those clever fingers of yours…" He laughed breathlessly and pulled her into a heated kiss. She realized that she suddenly felt warm all over and couldn't help but dig her fingernails into the skin of his back. He groaned into her mouth. 

Hermione stared at him, stunned, the thought of him feeling aroused by her making her feel… desired. Only vaguely she registered how his hands moved down, from her hair to her back and a moment later George had opened the clasp of her bra with an effortless motion. Again, her heart stuttered with nervousness, but before she had time to react, he just pulled her over on her back and moved on top of her, without even breaking the kiss. 

For a moment she was flustered, but then she realized that she didn't really mind. He wasn't heavy and didn't tower over her. George held himself up gracefully while kissing her with a fever that seemed to set her body aflame, making her slowly forget that the Ministry was forcing them into this situation and that she had no idea of what to do next. It didn't take long until she started squirming, and George who noted her impatience broke their kiss with a chuckle. 

"What do you want?" he asked her and searched her face for a reaction. Hermione couldn't help but blush. She wanted more, as her body was already humming with unrelieved tension, but she didn't know what to say without sounding needy, or ridiculous.

"I don't know," was all that came out, her voice sounding helpless instead of sexy. "What we do feels brilliant, but somehow it leaves me tingling all over and…" She helplessly waved her hand through the air.

George chuckled goodnaturedly. "I think I have an idea," he said and this time he lowered his mouth onto her collarbone and started kissing it while moving down. With a fluid motion, he angled her bra and threw it on the floor before kissing his way down to her breasts. The tingling definitely got worse, and her heart started hammering frantically in her chest. But she didn't acknowledge it and just pulled him closer, her tongue desperately trying to communicate how she felt. Finally, her hands sneaked below the waistband of his boxers and, before she could lose her nerve, she started moving her hands further down. She studied the curve of his butt with her fingertips just as she felt his mouth close around the tip of her breast. She groaned and dug her nails into his skin.

"Good?" he asked inquiringly, and she nodded. More than good, she thought while George sucked the sensitive skin, sending little shocks of please through her body. She had never experienced anything alike. She had touched herself, yes, but never like this. And gods,  _ this _ felt like heaven. 

Somehow, she must have lost track of time because suddenly his mouth moved further down, and his fingers started resting on the hem of her knickers. "Do you mind?" he murmured but she just shook her head and angled them down herself. He smiled at her, his eyes glittering with emotions she did not know how to read. But she could tell that he enjoyed himself and so did she.

Then, suddenly he broke their kiss again, propping himself up and kicking down his own boxers. "Just for fairness," he explained and finally studied her with his eyes. Hermione could see them rake over her body, followed by his hands that travelled down her sides, towards her thighs, her breath stuttering as goosebumps broke out of her skin at his touch. "Hm. Beautiful," he hummed kissing her stomach with a smile. Hermione giggled.

"Sorry, I'm ticklish," she explained and tried to pull him up. He complied and when she pulled his face towards hers, he kissed her eagerly. Again, she lost herself in his kisses and the next thing she registered was his hand moving downwards. He passed her breaths, brushed against them, then down her belly towards her centre. Hermione’s breath hitched and before she could help it her body stiffened. George immediately stopped.

"Relax," he murmured against her mouth before he kissed her, much more slowly this time. "I promise you will like this," he assured her, his hand slowly starting to move again and this time she let him. 

Ever so slowly his fingers travelled down, brushed the short hair between her legs, before they parted her folds, carefully caressing the sensitive skin that was below. At first it felt a little awkward to let him touch her like this, but soon she lost herself in the sensation of his lips and his fingers and started to relax. Just then she realized that George was right. She liked it, more than liked it. Oh, he really had clever fingers. In almost no time, she was panting below him, but he kept kissing her and stroking her sensitive bud, one of his fingers dipping into her now and then, exploring and stretching her ever so gently. 

“George,” she panted, noting that her legs had started to shake from the tension building inside her. Sweet Merlin, she felt like she was going to explode. 

George smiled against her mouth and to her dismay his movements stopped and he broke the kiss. Confused, Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him with heavy lids. "Come back," she pleaded, but he shook his head.

"Just a moment, love," he assured her instead and suddenly she felt how he shifted above her, aligning himself at her entrance. She sought his eyes out and gulped, suddenly nervous again. But George didn't move further, his erection simply resting against her opening when he resumed their kiss and his fingers continued doing these clever things. She moaned into his mouth, closed her eyes again while bathing in his attentions and the feelings he evoked inside her. Again, there was this pressure behind her navel that just kept building and building until she was wiggling against him, hoping to find a little more friction that would drive her over the edge. He seemed to have waited for this kind of reaction though, because suddenly his hips moved forward with a fluent stroke and buried himself in her. It took her a moment to register what he was doing, that this was really happening and then she was overwhelmed by all those feelings. It was all too much, he was huge, and while he entered her he kept stretching her until she thought she would burst. She winced, stiffening from the stab of pain she felt and George stilled immediately, his eyes seeking her out full of worry. 

"Sorry," he murmured and started kissing her apologetically. Only then she registered that the pain was already starting to dissipate and she found herself relaxing into the pillow and into the kiss. Hermione had already forgiven him, her mind and body getting distracted by his kiss, only vaguely registering how full she suddenly felt. And strangely the latter wasn’t a bad feeling at all. 

George didn't move his hips though, he just kept kissing her. Hermione really didn't mind as this gave her the chance to get used to the feeling of him inside her. It felt a bit strange, at first, but after a while he didn't feel too big like he had moments ago. And it definitely didn't hurt any longer.

"Try to start moving," she suggested, and he complied immediately. And oh, it felt good. Suddenly his fingers were stroking her again but with him inside her it felt even better. It was like he was suddenly rubbing her from two sides, his fingers and his erection stimulating her and driving her to the edge much faster than she had thought possible. Like a storm, the feelings inside her started raging and soon she started moving against him, eager to feel him ever deeper inside her. Before she knew what she was doing she was panting his name while her hands gripped his butt, her fingers digging into his skin there in the hope to release some of the tension building inside her. But it was of no use, she kept rushing towards the edge and her release without, her body shuddering and spasming shortly after while her body exploded with different sensations. She heard herself call out his name, while tumbling and falling, her hands clutching George while he kept moving once, twice more. Then, she also heard him moan her name, his body stiffening as he spilled his seed inside her. Hermione listened to his voice, his pants with closed eyes, too shy to look at him while he found his own release. 

Finally she felt him relax, his body collapsing on top of her, before he wrapped his arms around her, rolling them around so that she was suddenly snuggled into his side. 

"That was…" she panted but didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah," he agreed, his lips bestowing a gentle kiss onto her forehead. Hermione smiled, her body moving seemingly on his own as she buried her head on his shoulder, her right arm snaking around his hips. “Thank you for trusting me with this, Hermione,” he said, his fingers combing through her curls. 

She did not know what to reply and so she settled for an answering nod. It wasn’t like she’d had a choice, like she really chose him. But considering the circumstances, George had been a good choice and he had made this far more enjoyable than she’d thought possible. 

Luckily George did not seem to mind her silence, as she felt him bury his nose in her hair, his hands coming to stroke her back ever so gently. Oh, this felt perfect, Hermione thought. George felt warm and  _ safe _ , which was strange considering that she barely knew him. But right now it did not matter. Now they were in this boat, together and Hermione felt that she could trust him. He was her husband now. 

Before she knew it her eyelids started to drop, her body relaxing under his touch. Should she get up again? No, this was just too comfortable, she thought and George did not seem to mind her staying. Hermione sighed happily and only moments later she was fast asleep.


	5. The cat that caught the canary

George hadn't slept as well as he did this night in months. Ever since Bill's wedding, things had been crazy, and they were constantly on their toes while looking over their shoulders. It was a challenging time. They had to shut down their shop only a month into the war and go into hiding. Running "Potter Watch" on the wizarding wireless was no small feat and had painted a big target on their backs. But thanks to their savings and their almost natural talent for hiding, they had managed just fine. But he never felt the peacefulness of the pre-wartime ever again. Until now… and they were still in the middle of the war, or had lost it, depending on who you asked.

Hermione made him feel secure - protected even. It should have been the other way around, them protecting her. And they definitely _would_ protect her, if she ever needed protection. But still, there was no denying it: Hermione Weasley was a fighter. He had seen her battle scars, even though he hadn't commented on them. But he had definitely seen them. There would be time later to ask her about them, when they felt more comfortable around each other. But knowing the stories that had circulated during the last years and seeing the scars, one thing was clear: that woman was a fighter. If there was still a chance to bring You-Know-Who down, then it was through her.

He smiled and cuddled closer. For a moment he thought about getting up, but he didn't want things being awkward between them now. And so he would stay and make sure she didn't feel embarrassed or anything comparably stupid.

Like she had read his thoughts, Hermione shifted to her back and just a moment later her eyes snapped open. At first, she didn't seem to know where she was, but then her hazel eyes fell on him and widened with realization. George smiled.

"Good morning, sleepy head," he greeted her playfully and nuzzled her hair. "Sleep well?"

She smiled at him shyly. "Like a baby. Must have been out like a light."

"Same here," he replied and let go of her. "Would you like some breakfast?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I'm starving. Didn't have much of an appetite yesterday and I can't remember eating anything past noon."

He swung his legs down to the floor and angled for his boxers with his right foot. "This calls for a big breakfast then. I'll see what I can do." He put his boxers on and strolled to the door ignoring all the other clothes at the floor. Instead, he grabbed a silky, purple morning gown from the hook next to the door. "Take your time to get ready. I'll just make a quick bathroom stop before I raid the fridge." He winked at her and she smiled. All would be well between them. He'd make sure of that.

++++++++

Fred woke on the sofa when he heard the door to George's room open and shut. True to his word, the dreamless sleep potion had totally knocked him out and he had slept for 10 hours straight. 10 hours of blissful unawareness. But on the other hand, he couldn't help his curiosity making an appearance. He wouldn't ask either of them about their night together. Maybe George would volunteer some information on how it went. If not, he would soon see for himself, because his part of the marriage was still unsealed. Time to make plans for this occasion, he told himself. He didn't want their first time together to be like a strange sort of deja-vu to her. It was bad enough that he looked like his brother and most of the people couldn't even tell them apart. So, it was time for him to leave a good first impression. His wife would learn the differences between them soon enough.

Breakfast was an awkward affair. George had prepared scrambled eggs and toast for them and they mostly ate in silence. Hermione looked kind of normal and didn't seem distressed in any way, which he was thankful for. Still, she didn't seem to know what to talk about, or she was lost in thought. Either way he really couldn't hold it against her. What should they talk about? The war which was nearly lost? Her friends which were dead or had abandoned her? Her parents that were Merlin knows where? Or maybe the marriage law, which had turned all their lives upside down? There really was no easy conversation topic for them at the moment.

"Let's open up the shop again!" he finally exclaimed and clanked his glass on the table. "Soon enough something like a new normality will arise and the people will need a good laugh in their life again. What do you say?" Fred looked at the two of them expectantly.

"Maybe not a bad idea," George agreed while sipping at his pumpkin juice. "Our savings ran almost out anyway, and we will need some time to prepare everything before we can open up again. Hermione?"

Their wife furrowed her brows and looked at them. The wheels in her pretty head had started turning again. "There is no harm in preparing everything in advance. I am sure you'll have to go through the stock and look for products that maybe ran out. You'll almost certainly have to restock several things and maybe produce a new product or two, to make people curious again and bring them back into the shop."

Fred smiled brightly. "Then it's good that we'll have your help, right?" He winked at her. "Because you're now part of the prankster family."

She looked at them calculatingly. "George talked to you, then?" But Fred simply smiled.

"In a way?" he grinned. "Well, what do you say? Fancy a tour through the shop?"

She shrugged. "Sure. As long as you don't try to prank me?"

They laughed together. "We wouldn't dream of it," they said in unison. "You're one of us now, after all."

++++++++

Hermione had to admit that spending a day with the twins was fun. They not only showed her the shop but also willingly demonstrated several pranks to her. As long as she still went to school and dreamed of a career as Head Girl, she wouldn't have found them nearly as funny. But Fred transforming into a terrier and chasing after them through the workshop while wagging his tail was simply hilarious. They chased each other through the rows of boxes filled with joke items and finally he tackled her to the floor in the back of the workshop. Still giggling, she scratched his now furry ear, while he sat expectantly on her belly, wagging his tail. Unfortunately, a moment later the "paw pickles" wore off and suddenly a grinning redhead was sitting on her lap, while her hand was still cradling the back of his head. She was almost sure he was about to kiss her, but he just smirked and pulled himself up before offering her his hand to help her up too. She took it gratefully but couldn't help the blush that was spreading on her cheeks.

The second almost-kiss happened when she was sorting through some of the boxes with him. She was carrying a pile of six boxes towards one of the working tables, when she suddenly tripped and stumbled. But before she could react, strong arms caught her, so that only the boxes tumbled to the floor. Again, it was Fred, but this time she was even closer to him. Her hands had grabbed him roughly by the shirt, while his arms firmly held her around the waist. For a moment their eyes locked, and her heart started to pound heavily. But after a long second he simply smiled and let her go. Hermione could have sworn that he was about to kiss her, but no. She simply must have started imagining things.

But then there were all these small touches in between and she couldn't help but wonder: his hand cupping the small of her back while showing her around or playing with her hair while they talked to George. Two times their legs brushed under the table while they sat next to each other on the desk, and each time her skin started tingling all over. It was maddening.

Then, there was the third almost-kiss. Again, they were working together at the back of the shop while George was puttering in the saleroom. She had just taken one of the boxes from the big shelf next to the door, when suddenly the lid exploded with a silent poof and a big cloud of yellow powder erupted into her face. For a moment she simply stood there flabbergasted, then a silent spell whisked the dust away and Fred stood before her grinningly.

"You look like a fluffed canary," he commented with twinkling eyes. But then his gaze shifted and his eyes trailed towards her mouth and Hermione couldn't help but lick her lips expectantly.

"Oi, get a room you two!" they suddenly heard George's voice from the door and Hermione jumped in surprise. Fred just laughed at his brother boyishly, stepped closer to her and snagged her around the waist. A moment later, he had already lifted her into the air and thrown her over his shoulder.

"Good idea, Georgie!" he shouted chipperly and Hermione could barely catch a glimpse of the small bottle of dreamless sleep that he tossed towards his twin, before he disapparated with her in tow.

They must have landed in his bedroom, as the layout of the room was much the same as in George's room. The queen size bed was pushed towards the left wall, with a wardrobe on the wall next to them. But otherwise the rooms couldn't have been more different. The bottle green walls were plastered with Quidditch posters and also on his bedsheets there were little golden snitches all over.

"Put me down!" she demanded while wiggling on his shoulder angrily. Fred snorted and just a moment later he let her slide down in front of him while steadying her with his arms. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked angrily while poking her finger into his chest. "I'm not some kind of luggage, you know?"

"I know," he replied, grinning widely. "But I didn't fancy snogging you in the middle of the workshop in front of George." He smirked and suddenly he was two steps closer and his lips were capturing hers into a lingering kiss. For a moment, the world just stopped as her mind went blank. She didn't think, _couldn't_ think, when his lips kissed her like that. And so she just kissed him back. And Merlin, it felt right. It really shouldn't have because just yesterday she had been with his brother. Sweet Circe, what was she even doing? Suddenly her mind started spinning again, and he must have felt it because he instantly pulled back. He didn't say anything though, just held her and studied her with intensive brown eyes.

"I wanted to do this for hours," he hoarsely confessed and grinned. For a moment she just kept staring at him, before she suddenly burst into hysteric giggles. "You are all yellow," she choked out and hinted towards his face before erupting into another set of giggles. He really looked hilarious.

"Yellow, huh?" he asked with an unreadable expression. "Oh, I'll show you yellow!" he smirked and suddenly leaped towards her. Only the reflexes she had acquired through the months on the run managed to save her. She jumped to the side and just a moment later she was on her way to the door. But he was directly behind her. Fred chased her down the hall where they crossed a puzzled looking George. He must have been on the way into his room, by the look of it. For a moment he just stared at them, and Hermione stopped awkwardly in front of him.

"Hey Georgie, what are you still doing here?" Fred asked lightly behind her.

"Well, you know some people prefer to walk into their room," his twin explained with an amused expression. "By the way, you two look like a cat chasing a canary…" He snorted and opened the door to his room. "Well, good night you two. And try not to wreck the flat too much, will you?" And with that, he was gone.

"Like a canary, huh? Well, looks like I'll have to drag you into the shower."

She shrieked. "Don't you dare, Fred Weasley!" And just like that, they were chasing again. But of course, she didn't stand much of a chance. Fred was long and lean and in good shape. She was… well, the canary. And so it didn't take him long to tackle her on the sofa.

"Gotcha," he exclaimed triumphantly while holding her down firmly with his hands. "What shall I do now with you my little canary?"

"I am _not_ going into the shower with you!" she protested heatedly.

He shrugged. "Well, I guess then I'll just get myself all yellow." And just like that, he kissed her again. For a moment she wanted to protest, to struggle against him but then her mind went all fuzzy again and she didn't mind at all – not when it felt so damn good. And Merlin, the man could kiss and by the way his tongue claimed her while his hands cupped her face, there was no doubt that he wanted her. And somehow, she wanted him back. It was totally illogical as she didn't even know him, but right at this moment she didn't care. She just wanted him to kiss her. And that he did – thoroughly. Within minutes, she was panting below him, but he just kept on kissing. Then suddenly her world seemed to shift just for a moment, and when she opened her eyes confusedly, she registered that they were definitely no longer on the sofa.

"Fred? Did you just apparate us to your bedroom?" she asked confusedly.

He grinned at her triumphantly. "I thought you would prefer my bed to the shower."

She rolled her eyes. "Fred, this kind of stuff is dangerous. It's like driving a car intoxicated or…"

But she couldn't finish because then his mouth was back at hers again and just a moment later, she didn't even care any longer. Not as long as he kept kissing her like that. And that he did.

++++++++

Fred was enjoying every moment of this. He honestly didn't have any expectations for this evening except the obvious sealing of the marriage bond which had to be done at same point. His plan was to distract Hermione as much as possible, probably make her laugh at some point, and then just get it over with. But that totally wasn't what was happening here.

Hermione kept kissing him back with a fervor that he hadn't expected from her at all. She didn't shy back from him or hold back and just kept on going and it was intoxicating. Her lips were so soft and warm and welcoming and her body... he didn't even have words for it. She was small, petite even, but what she hid below her jeans and jumper was just exquisite. And he simply couldn't help himself and explore it all. There was a spot behind her ear that let her make the most fascinating noises when he kissed her there. Small bites to her neck were rewarded with little shivers and goosebumps and when he was finally brave enough to touch her breasts, she moaned his name like nobody had before. And it all went straight to his groin. It was almost too much. He felt like a bloody teenage boy that couldn't last for five minutes, as all he wanted to do was to bury himself inside her and finally make her his. But he really couldn't do this to a girl that only yesterday had still been a virgin. And so he forced himself to slow down.

"What's wrong?" she asked him confusedly, when he moved his hand back to her face and slowed down the kiss. "Have I done something wrong?"

He couldn't help but shake his head laughingly. "Let me guess. You don't even have an idea how hot you are… Gods, I could just ravish you here and now, but that wouldn't be very gentlemanly now, would it?"

Hermione gnawed at her lip nervously. "I do have a good time, you know?" she admitted sheepishly. "And well, I really can't believe I'm saying that, but maybe you really shouldn't overthink this. Just…"

"Just what?" he asked, grinning.

"Well… don't stop?"

Fred laughed happily and pulled her into a feverish kiss. He didn't stop until he heard her shouting his name and finally collapsed on her just a moment later. And he couldn't help but feel like a cat that had finally caught the canary.


	6. Old enemies and new plans

Hermione awoke and was totally disorientated. For a moment, she didn't know where she was but then it suddenly all came back to her. The marriage law, her night with George and now her night with Fred – especially her night with Fred. Sweet Merlin, what was she thinking to forget herself like that? She had behaved like some sort of needy teenager that had more or less jumped him. But that was just the thing: she didn't think.

Hermione groaned embarrassedly.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" murmured a sleepy voice next to her. Brilliant! Now she had woken him.

"Nothing, go back to sleep," she said lightly, but he simply wouldn't buy it.

"I can tell you're lying," he said and propped himself up sleepily. "Did you have a nightmare?" Fred crawled closer and snuggled against her, but she couldn't help but stiffen. He was alert instantly.

"Hermione?" he asked and watched her calculatingly. "What's wrong? I haven't hurt you, have I?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Hurt me? No, gods no! That's not at all what this is. I just … can't help but feel a bit embarrassed, you know?" She sighed. Gosh, she really didn't want to have this conversation.

Hermione almost saw the relief in his eyes when he exhaled. But a moment later he shook his head incredulously. "I don't get it. Why would you feel embarrassed?"

She gulped. "Well, I jumped you like a horny teenager," she admitted and luckily it was still dark so that he couldn't see the blush spreading across her face.

Fred cleared his throat. "Well, technically we jumped each other like horny teenagers if I remember correctly."

She snorted. "Well, when you put it like that… but I mean… why?"

He shook his head confusedly. "What do you mean, why?"

Hermione harrumphed. "It was our first time together and I am kind of new to this kind of stuff and…"

He laughed. "Well, I am kind of hot, you know?"

She groaned. "Fred! Could you please take this seriously? I am kind of freaking out here."

He sighed. "Alright. Sorry." He pulled her into a gentle embrace. "You know that you don't need to feel bad or embarrassed because of me. Last night was wonderful and I wouldn't want to change a thing," he assured her, and Hermione couldn't help but relax into his arms.

She nodded, because, somehow, she felt the same. But still… "I just find it so strange. I usually don't behave like that. Don't be mad but I barely even know you…"

He sighed into her hair. "I think I kind of get this now. Let me ask you some questions, okay?"

She nodded into his chest and inhaled his musky scent. And she couldn't help but already feel better.

"Do you trust George?"

She blinked. That wasn't the question she had expected. "Yeah, I trust him," she replied honestly.

"Good, because then you also trust me," he stated as if it was a fact. She blinked.

"Huh? How do you know?"

"Hermione. We are magical twins. George and I are like the two sides of the same galleon. Sure, we are different, but we are still the same coin."

She paused. "Huh, I didn't see it like that," she confessed.

"But it's true. And even if your mind didn't know, your heart felt it. So another question: did you enjoy your first time with George?"

She stiffened. "Fred! You know this really is none of your business!"

He laughed. "Alright, alright. But you see where I'm going with this? Even if your mind thinks that it was our first time, and technically it was, your heart…"

Hermione nodded understandingly. "My heart couldn't tell, yeah." She sighed and suddenly she couldn't help but ask him, "Does it bother you?"

Fred moved back a bit and took her gently by the shoulders while locking eyes with her. "Hermione! Last night was wonderful and I wouldn't change a thing, remember? And I mean it! It doesn't bother me that you also had a good time with George – supposedly. Remember? We are two sides of the same coin! There's nothing like jealousy between us."

She gulped but nodded. "Good. And thanks for explaining this to me, Fred. This twin-bond-thing is kind of complicated."

He laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "Anytime." Then he smirked at her. "Well, now that we are already awake… wanna go for another round?" He waggled her eyebrows at her.

"Fred!" she laughed and smacked him on the arm lightly. "You really are insatiable."

"I know," he confessed rakishly and pulled her into another kiss. It was the first of many that followed.

++++++++

The next day was mostly spent the same way as the day before. After a rich breakfast, they moved downstairs to the joke shop and went through their storage together. It could have been a tedious task but between the three of them it really wasn't. Hermione was obviously enjoying the organizing and the writing of detailed lists of their supplies. Fred and George hated that part of their work, but she was gladly taking that from them. Fred was even more of a clown than usual and George couldn't help noticing the brilliant mood his twin was in. Things must have gone well between him and Hermione then. He was glad. Otherwise the next months could have gotten really awkward.

The evening was spent together in the living room. Hermione retreated into a wingchair with one of her books while he and Fred went for a game of Exploding Snap in front of the fire. It was a cosy affair. But all too soon their witch started to yawn and excused herself to bed – alone. Well, George hadn't really expected her to share a bed with them outside of their weekly arrangements, but he still couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Fred was feeling much the same if he read his feelings through their bond correctly. They shot each other an understanding look but didn't comment on it because there really was no need to.

The next morning brought a visitor into their living room. They were at breakfast, as suddenly the fire of their fireplace flared green and McGonagall's voice announced her immediate arrival in her typical clipped voice. Only moments later, said witch stepped into the room, dusting off her dark green tartan robes while examining them with her typical strict expression. "Messrs Weasley, Mrs Weasley," she said and nodded at them in greeting. Hermione immediately jumped to attention. "Professor McGonagall, please do come in. We were already expecting you," she said and was offering the older witch a spot at their breakfast table. "Do you want any tea or coffee?"

The professor smiled. "Some tea with just a little lemon please." Hermione smiled and served her the tea smilingly. It was obvious that she was happy to see the older witch. Then she sat back down at the table. "Professor? If you don't mind, I would really prefer if you just called me Hermione. The name Mrs Weasley will for me be forever associated with Fred's and George's mum," she said shyly but the older witch just smiled.

"Of course. But then it will be Minerva to all of you. I find that more fitting anyway, as I have been already to your wedding, dears." She smiled, and George couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable, as this expression usually wasn't directed to him or his brother. It was strange seeing McGonagall - no Minerva he corrected himself - with such a pleased expression on her face. But Hermione didn't seem fazed in the least.

"Very well, Minerva. We'll stick to first names then. Is that alright with you, Fred, George?" She looked at them and the twins nodded in unison. They were still too flabbergasted to say something. "Would you mind finishing breakfast with us first? There are some topics ahead, which I'd prefer not to discuss on an empty stomach."

This turned out to be the right decision, as the story which Hermione told them afterwards was nothing George would ever repeat to anyone. The idea of Horcruxes - six Horcruxes - was bad enough, but to know that Dumbledore had sent Hermione, his brother and Harry on the hunt for them alone was simply too much to take. And this was just the beginning of what Hermione told them. They of course had already heard about the break-in in the ministry and Gringotts but to know all the details of those operations and the reasons behind them was almost too much to believe. If it wasn't Hermione telling the story, George would have simply thought the whole thing was made up.

But there were also other horrifying things Hermione told them. George felt still sick at the thought of them carrying a Horcrux around their necks for months until they finally found a way to destroy it. Also, there was this major worrying detail about the Deathly Hollows, which obviously weren't just part of a child's story but actually existed. With their enemy and momentary head of the government being in the possession of the Elder Wand – a wand that would make it almost impossible to beat him in a magical fight - that only made things more difficult.

Hermione finished her story after almost two hours. She had used her well organized mind and told them everything in excruciating detail and in what seemed to be the perfect order. But he still had problems processing it all. Luckily, he didn't seem to be the only one, as nobody breathed a word for several minutes and everybody just stared mutely into the distance.

Finally, Minerva seemed to have found her bearings and said, "So, let me get this straight Hermione. You, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley managed to destroy the locket, the diadem and the cup. The old headmaster destroyed the ring. And you say the diary which possessed young Miss Weasley in her first year was also a Horcrux?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. It was also destroyed by Harry through the use of Basilisk venom."

The Professor nodded but seemed to be deep in thought. "And you say there is just one other Horcrux, the snake I believe?"

"Yes, there is still the snake. I am almost a hundred percent sure that she is the last Horcrux. But the Dark Lord keeps her well protected now, as he figured that she is the last Horcrux left to him. When we went to the Shrieking Shack and he killed Professor Snape…" Hermione had to fight for composure for a second, "He kept her protected with something like a glowing orb. I don't know what it was exactly, but we'll need to find out. I could show you the memory, if it helps."

The older witch nodded. "I will look into this. But this seems the least of our problems at the moment."

George paused, but then it hit him. "Yeah, first we'll have to lure them out. Nobody has seen You-Know-Who in person or his pet snake since the battle of Hogwarts."

Fred nodded approvingly, but Hermione just frowned. "Well, actually this one comes second. First, we'll have to figure out how to kill the snake - well, and him at a later point." She looked at them sombrely. "As far as I know not many things can kill a Horcrux. We mostly used Basilisk venom and the Sword of Gryffindor, as it had already absorbed the stuff. We don't have the sword any longer, but I still do have some Basilisk teeth from the Chamber of Secrets." George and Fred nodded eagerly, but the Professor didn't seem convinced and said, "But we can't say for sure, that the venom will kill the snake, as she is already poisonous herself. What if she can counteract the poison somehow? We'll only have one more chance at finishing that, if we even get so far."

Hermione had started gnawing nervously on her bottom lip again. "I know and I had the same thought. Well the other methods known to me are Fiendfire and the Killing Curse. And to be honest, I don't know anybody alive and on our side who would be able and willing to cast those." She watched them sadly. But Minerva just nodded grimly.

"Well, there might be someone. That is, if you would be willing to trust Kingsley with this information. Professor Flitwick might also be a valuable ally." She looked at Hermione unflinchingly. "I know the Headmaster has not encouraged any trust towards the older Order members in you. But to be honest, I think he made a grave mistake with that. As you have already come to trust me and your husbands, I would strongly encourage you to think about including other valuable allies. Because I can assure you, this fight will be won costly, if at all."

Hermione sighed and nodded. "You are right. And I trust you to pick our allies wisely, Minerva. It doesn't need saying what will happen to any of us if the Dark Lord learns about our plans."

The Professor nodded gravely. "We'll have to tread carefully. But I trust that we all understand the gravity of what we are about to try."

She moved her piercing eyes towards him and Fred and they solemnly nodded. "Of course."

They hadn't said much throughout this whole conversation but sometimes no words were needed. He and Fred would have to talk about many things between the two of them, as soon as the opportunity arose.

++++++++

The opportunity for the much-needed talk came as soon as Hermione excused herself to bed in the evening. They had spent the day pleasantly enough and the inventory of the shop was almost finished by now. But George could tell that their heart was not in it. Each one of them seemed to be deep in thought and so laughter and mirth were noticeably absent today.

Finally, they settled down together in his bedroom. It wasn't the first time that they shared a bed together. George and Fred had done it often enough as kids and, later, when they were distressed or needed the company of the other. Many nights at Hogwarts they had spent planning their joke shop below the covers of George's bed and so it was the natural choice of location for them now. George quickly changed into his sleeping clothes – a t-shirt and boxers – and laid down on his back, where his twin was already waiting for him in the same position.

"So, how much have you known about this?" Fred finally asked him, while staring into the dark room.

"Honestly? This stuff was completely new to me. Horcruxes, blimey Fred. That is really dark stuff."

"I figured. Well, I just got the impression that she has come to trust you and so I thought you might have known…"

George looked at him, as he sensed his nervousness through the bond. "Fred. She trusts both of us. That's why we are both in this together. But you're right. She told me some stuff one evening. You remember this episode at Malfoy Manor that she briefly mentioned this morning? Well, she left lots of details out there." There was never a question that he'd tell Fred about the whole thing. And so George explained to his twin everything he knew from this dark chapter of Hermione's life.

"Merlin, this witch has been through a lot." Fred finally murmured and shook his head. "How she is even sane after that is beyond me."

George didn't say anything to that, but there was no need. They both knew what he thought on that matter.

"Well, what shall we do now? I mean honestly? This stuff is kind of out of our league," George said staring into the darkness

"Nah, don't worry. We'll think of something. We might not be any good in throwing around Fiendfire and Killing Curses, but there's one thing we are unbeatable at."

And George knew exactly what his twin meant. And so they started planning.

  
  



	7. Hot and cold

Hermione started enjoying life with the twins. It was surprisingly easy. She had, of course, lived with Harry and Ron before, but maybe their time on the run wasn't the best thing to compare living arrangements to. Still, Molly had done a great job raising these two boys - or maybe it was their experience living on their own. They both knew their household spells and weren't shy using them. And Hermione hadn't expected that at all. Somehow, she had been mentally prepared to try to reign in the chaos that those two endlessly produced. She had seen failed experiments, wracked furniture and lots of pranking in her mind, but there was really none of that. And Hermione could hardly believe her luck. Because she was almost sure that it would have been very different with Ron, who was lazy to the core. She would most likely have done all the chores herself and in the end Ron would have still complained. They would have driven each other up the wall most likely. Well, maybe this marriage law had also done her some good, in the end. And if she couldn't have love, then she would at least have contentment, which was more than most of the other victims of this barbaric law would ever have.   
The first interruption of their domestic bliss came five days into their marriage. Hermione and the twins had just started breakfast together, when they were interrupted by a sharp knock on their front door.   
"I'll go and get the door," George announced and jumped from his chair. Hermione nodded at him thankfully. She heard the front door open and couldn't help but listening in with one ear. The fight at Hogwarts had still only been days ago and one could never be too careful in these times. And what she heard from the hallway made her blood run cold. Hermione would have recognized this child-like voice everywhere. She was at the door barely three seconds later and Fred was only two steps behind.  
"Well, well. There we have the new-founded Weasley family." the unpleasant voice of Dolores Umbridge greeted them. She still looked much the same as she had in the ministry those months ago in her pale pink dress and matching bow. And her smile was as wide and unsettling as ever.  
"Mrs Umbridge," forced Hermione herself to greet the witch. "I couldn't say we were expecting you. To what do we owe the pleasure?" She almost choked at her own words but in a world run by a muggleborn-hating maniac she would have to play nice.   
"Well Mrs Weasley, you should have expected me. You see, I am head of the Muggleborn Integration Office, short MIO now." the woman explained to them like talking to a group of four-year-old's. "It is my job to check on all muggleborn witches and wizards below the age of 25 and their spouses, to ensure that the marriage law is followed accordingly. You surely must have heard of the new marriage law, Mrs Weasley?"  
Hermione smiled. "We have, Madame."  
Umbridge smiled sweetly. "I thought so. Well, luckily you got yourself aligned to two pureblooded wizards. I must congratulate you on that fortunate arrangement. I assume this marriage has been sealed by all involved parties already?" She looked at them with her small piercing eyes and Hermione could feel her skin crawling with suppressed disgust.  
She nodded mutely, but Fred had already stepped in front of her and next to George and they both replied in unison: "Of course it has. We wouldn't want to disappoint the Ministry after all, would we?" They made it sound light but Hermione could clearly detect the stressed undertone.   
"No dears, you really wouldn't." the woman relied unpleasantly and noted something on a clipboard that Hermione hadn't seen before. "You see, even if the former Miss Granger here was not assigned a husband through the Ministry, she is still expected to integrate herself fittingly in our society. Therefore, the same rules apply to this marriage as to all Ministry approved bonds." Hermione shuddered involuntarily, even though her husbands shielded her from the view of the other witch. "It will fall to her husbands, to reign their wife in and show her a fitting place in society."   
Hermione heard Fred snort. "Do not worry, Ma'am. We can assure you that our wife knows her place in society very well and we will see to it that she doesn't forget it." She couldn't help but smirk inwardly, but Umbridge seemed satisfied with the reply.   
"Very well." the unpleasant woman said and again Hermione heard her write something down on her clipboard. "I think you are also already aware of the other … hem hem…" she cleared her throat "weekly liabilities of your marriage." Hermione shivered at the undertone of her voice. "The ministry does make allowances to pause these duties in case of a pregnancy, but these circumstances must be confirmed by ministry approved healers at St Mungo's hospital first. And even then, a regular … hem hem… contact is still very much encouraged, as it assures a firm bond between the muggleborn and the pureblooded warden."  
She gulped. This part was new information. She had assumed that the Ministry just wanted to get them pregnant as soon as possible. But no, of course they wanted to continue binding them to their keepers. Hermione sighed. She hadn't planned on getting pregnant soon anyway, but she also knew that it maybe would happen soon enough anyway.   
She must have missed the twins answer to this as Umbridge sounded a bit flustered when she continued. "I must inform you that the Ministry has taken hold of all the marriage contracts containing a muggleborn witch or wizard. We are able to track their activities and the fulfilment of the law though the magic sealed into the contract. You should know that we will be able to track your position, if you should miss fulfilling all the requirements of the marriage law. I am sure you are all aware of the punishment which awaits your young Mrs Weasley in such a case." Her voice almost sounded pitying, but Hermione could detect the malicious undertone in it.   
"We are aware of it, thank you." she replied in a clipped voice. "Is there anything else?"  
"No, this will be all for today. But I am sure we will see each other soon enough. Have a good day."  
Before Hermione could reply to that, the twins had banged the door shut in front of the toad. And Hermione couldn't help but release a relieved breath. But she could still feel the dark clouds that were starting to form above their heads. 

++++++++   
The visit of the toad had all left them in a grumpy mood. Not that it brought that much news for them, but now they knew for sure that they had the ministry on their heels. George had always wondered how the ministry would be able to control the fulfilment of the law and he had to admit that using the contracts themselves was a clever idea. Well, they just had to be careful then.   
Still, Umbridge's visit hadn't left him in the best of moods to pursue a bed-activity with Hermione and he didn't seem to be the only one. His woman hadn't hinted once in that direction and George simply didn't know how to ask her. As she went to bed on her own every night there wasn't simply the chance to initiate something spontaneously, or that's what he told himself.   
But their time for procrastination had finally run out on Sunday and so he approached Hermione after they finished their dinner.   
"Hermione?" he asked her awkwardly, after they had just finished doing the dishes together. Fred, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen. "Should we retreat into my room for the evening? We could also use yours if you prefer of course…"  
"Your room will be fine." she told him somewhat stiffly. "Should we just…" she waved into the direction of his bedroom.  
"Yeah." he replied and took a deep breath. Merlin, he felt awkward. Suddenly they were in his room and she had shut the door silently. He didn't know what to say, which was a totally new experience for him. But she didn't seem better off. What was different from last week? He had managed just fine then…   
"So…" she finally said and looked at him expectantly.   
"So…" he replied and stared back.   
"Should I maybe kiss you?" she suggested and took a step towards him.  
George's heart started to flutter. Gosh, why was he suddenly feeling so awkward? He nodded and immediately she took another step towards him and then another. Finally, she was directly in front of him and for a moment she watched him with her head leaned towards one side before she took him by the shirt and pulled him closer. Their eyes locked and a moment later his lips were finally on hers. At first, their lips only brushed several times while she stared up at him. But it was enough to let his heart beat heavily in his chest. He sighed, put his arms around her back and closed his eyes. Only then did he deepen the kiss. He enjoyed having her back in his arms and being able to taste and smell her. Her lips felt glorious as they moved against his and as her hand started to roam his chest, his heart almost starting to sing. But then her hands suddenly moved down to his belt and tried to undo the buckle. He stiffened.  
"Hermione…" he started cautiously after breaking the kiss. "I can't just…" he waved around helplessly. "Please, can we take this slowly?"  
She looked at him confused. "Oh, sorry. I didn't want to rush you or anything I just thought…"  
He nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I get it. But please, just because the ministry forces us to do this doesn't mean that we have to get it over with as quickly as possible. Because honestly, I couldn't…"  
Hermione silenced him with a finger on his lips. "Okay, sorry. Shall we just start this again?"  
He smiled happily. "What do you say about a cosy little cuddle session on the bed?"   
"Sure." she said and shrugged.   
"Excellent." He took his wand from his trousers and with a wave he had changed them both into fluffy pyjamas. Another spell lit the room with candles and George was satisfied. "Nobody said that we weren't allowed to enjoy ourselves, right?" And with that he jumped onto the mattress and lifted the covers for her. "Mrs Weasley?" He waggled his eyebrow at her which coaxed an amused snort from her. Then she lay down beside him before cuddling closer. He took her into his arms gently and buried his nose into her bushy hair. It felt glorious. This was how it was supposed to be between them. Not just hurried kisses before he quickly fucked her on the bed. No, George was determined to enjoy their time together and to make the most of it. And he did. 

++++++++  
For George, things only got more complicated from there on. The night he had spent with Hermione had been wonderful and it had made his heart sing with joy. But it had also made abundantly clear what he was lacking, when the next morning, things went back to normal again and Hermione left his bed without even a good-morning kiss. It got even worse when she spent her next night with his twin and he had to experience it without the help of the dreamless sleep potion. He and Fred had agreed to only use it for their wedding nights, as the stuff was highly addictive. Of course, George had known that this night would be happening. But the pictures and feelings he got through the twin-bond were killing him. There were flashes of her joking around with his twin, her eyes crinkling with laughter. But he could also see her being chased by Fred around the bed, where they finally fell down in a heap of laughter. And then there was the kissing – playful kissing but also lots of full-on snogging – and finally the lovemaking. And gods, it was killing him! He almost felt it like he was there himself and was on the receiving end of her attentions. But, of course, he wasn't, and it just made him feel desperate and hungry for the touch that he could feel and not feel at the same time. It seemed to go on endlessly and in the end he was so desperate that he thought about drinking himself into oblivion. Finally, he settled for a long, very cold shower that helped him find his bearings again. But Merlin! Would it be like that every time? He wasn't sure if he could survive that. George wasn't jealous - not in the slightest - because he was happy for Fred. He just wanted to be there too, and not just be a bystander to their adventures. He wanted to be there with Hermione and Fred – all three of them together, but in this forced setting they were in, it wasn't an option of course. He was sure Hermione would run screaming if he even suggested it to her. But was it really that unreasonable? He didn't know and he had no idea who to ask. George didn't know any other magical twins.   
Well, he'd definitely need to talk to Fred. They needed a way to cope with this situation, because they would have to do this for the rest of their lives. And George definitely couldn't go on like this forever.

++++++++ 

"I think if we throw ourselves right into this, we could open the shop in two weeks." Hermione suggested the next evening after they had settled down in the living area. She had propped herself up on the sofa and George had sat down at her feet and had started rubbing them absentmindedly. She didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, she had even started to hum with pleasure, but George was not sure if she noticed doing it.  
"Two weeks? Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed and clapped his hand together excitedly. "I can't wait to open up again. We can all use a bit of laughter and happiness in our lives and I'm sure the rest of the wizarding world is even more desperate for a laugh."  
Hermione nodded understandingly. "But we'll have to talk about security. I am sure that the shop might become a thorn in the Death Eaters' sides, especially when the new school year starts. We could be sitting ducks and I'd rather avoid being the victim of a so-called potions accident."  
The twins nodded solemnly. When the war was officially declared as ended, the Death Eater raids had stopped. At least that was what everybody was made to believe. In their stead, gas explosions, potion accidents or misplaced dark artefacts had mysteriously taken care of their enemies. "We'll have Bill look into the warding of the shop and the flat again. He did it for us back when we opened up and he did a good job with it then. But I am sure that he will be all too willing to include some other spells and security measures for us."  
George nodded in agreement. "Due to the political situation we won't be able to erect wards around the shop that would directly keep out Death Eaters, as they are the "good guys" now. But we will definitely have those around the flat. I don't fancy being murdered in my sleep."  
They all nodded, and the evening was spent with more planning. But George enjoyed it, as it was something they were all doing together. Soon they were next to each other on the sofa, discussing and gesturing animatedly. And George could snag some little touches in between from his wife. It was glorious!

++++++++

Hermione worked towards the opening of the shop tirelessly. It was her chance of giving them something back for their efforts. They had not only invited her below their roof and fed her, they had also saved her from this barbaric marriage law. And she could tell that it was taking a toll on them. Fred wasn't giving much away and was his usual joking self in her presence. But she had still seen his slumped shoulders and tired eyes when he thought that nobody was watching him. And then there was George. Hermione could have sworn that he had been an entirely different person during her school days. Yes, he was also pulling some jokes during their days, but Hermione could have sworn that the war had changed him. Or was it this forced marriage? She couldn't tell. But she knew that he was suffering. And she didn't know how to help him. The only way she could see to make him laugh again was the joke shop. It was the twin's big dream after all. If something could bring back the laugh into their faces and eyes, then it was this. So she did everything in her power to bring the shop back to life again. As she finally told them that it would be only two more weeks until they could open up the shop again, she could see the spark returning into George's eyes. And suddenly Hermione knew that she was doing the right thing.


	8. Combined forces

They opened up the shop on a Monday two weeks later. Fred was overjoyed and was grinning for the whole day. They had thrown a big opening party after announcing the reopening two days prior in the Daily Prophet. It was a huge success. They were one of the first shops coming back to life in Diagon Alley, but the shop was bursting with people nonetheless and they still kept coming. It was like Fred had prophesied. People needed some enjoyment and laughter after the long months of terror and misery, and they latched to the first thing providing that. And fortunately, it was they.   
Hermione stayed at the back of the shop for the whole time. She never did well with crowds and since the war it had gotten worse. But Fred was fine with that. He and his twin were enjoying the attention and bathed in their success while she was supplying them with whatever joke items they needed. She was brilliant with restocking as she had taken to their written instructions like a fish to the water and so they were never running out of stuff. And the galleons kept flowing into their pockets. But the best of all was the sound of giggling children. It had been months since he had last heard the sound and he realized that he had missed it terribly. Now that Fred had finally experienced it again it was like his heart had found a missing piece. It was brilliant and exhilarating and he never wanted to be without it again. Joking and making people laugh was obviously what he was born to do. It was as simple as that. 

++++++++

Hermione was proud that her plan had worked. They had managed to open up the shop within her estimated time frame, so that her twins were now back in business. She didn't know when she had started to think of them as her twins but it's what they were to her now. But hey, they were married after all, so it was basically true.   
It had been two hard weeks full of work. She had left the decorating and product design to them and had started restocking the back of the shop. Producing the different potions was easy enough. Fred's written instructions were very clear and easy to follow, and she enjoyed working in the solitude of the lab for hours. But producing the charms and fireworks that were mostly George's invention was an entirely different thing. At first, she had failed miserably and had almost set herself and the lab on fire when she was trying to produce a whizzing shooting star. The twins were at her side instantly, but they had to regrow her eyebrows anyway. From there on, George was always present when she tried herself with his creations. He was watching the progress she made over her shoulder and corrected her posture or wand movements gently with his hands when he saw the need to do so. But he made it in a totally unobtrusive manner and Hermione was secretly enjoying his company.   
The two of them had definitely gotten closer to each other during the last weeks. George never treated her like a casual shag, but usually spent the whole evening with her. They talked, they cuddled and sometimes there was also a massage involved before he slept with her. But even then, he always made sure she had a good time and she did her best to also make it enjoyable for him. Because if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that the nights she spent with the twins were her favourite nights throughout the week. It wasn't just because of the sex – which was undeniably nice – it was being the centre of their attention. Fred and George Weasley where both very intense and charming men which she could have never won over under normal circumstances, but during those nights she could let herself dream that it wasn't just the stupid law forcing them together. And Hermione simply allowed herself to enjoy these moments thoroughly.   
But also, throughout the week, George was seeking her presence now and then. And Hermione really didn't mind. Usually he was sitting with her on the sofa where she propped her legs up on his lap. But sometimes he also hugged her good morning or good night and two times he had also kissed her cheek while doing so. It was strange to her at first, but she had quickly gotten used to it and secretly enjoyed the attention. It made her feel loved, even if it was just as a friend. Because there was really no denying it, they had become good friends to each other and Hermione loved them exactly the same way that she had loved Harry and Ron. And this was making her very happy. 

++++++++  
At the end of their first week with the shop back in business, George was tired on his feet. They had been working for ten hours per day for six days straight and during their opening times the big salesroom had always been crowded with people. Hermione was luckily supplying them with everything they needed, from fresh supplies of joke items to ready-made lunch, they never wanted for anything. But George missed the time he could spend with Hermione during the days, because now they were always too busy to even exchange a few words. And also, in the evenings they were just too tired, and Hermione usually excused herself after half an hour on the sofa. George could not blame her for it, as he excused himself only a few minutes afterwards and was usually fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.   
But not so today. Finally, it was Saturday evening and even though Hermione had already excused herself again, George was looking forward to an evening with his twin that at least included two glasses of firewhiskey and some rounds of exploding snap. It was like the good old times after they had first moved in together and opened up the shop. These Saturday nights were their reward for all their hard work during the week and they had only brought them even closer together.   
"We should bring Lee and Verity back into the business." Fred slurred, after they had finally called it a day and dragged themselves into George's bed. "I think we can say quite certainly that the shop is going well and we could use their help sooner rather than later."  
"Hm," George hummed in agreement. "I am dead on my feet and I'm not sure if I can survive another week like that. Have we gotten so much older or why is this suddenly so hard? Or is it just me feeling that way?"  
"Nope," Fred said and cracked his back. "I feel totally the same. Besides…" he scratched his head sheepishly. "How are you coping with… everything?"  
He didn't have to spell it out as they both knew he meant their marriage and all things implied. George groaned. "Don't ask. It's driving me nuts. I want to be close to her the whole time and I have to keep myself from touching her constantly."  
Fred nudged him into the ribs. "Then you got off lightly. I want to jump her all the time. My hormones are totally out of control and I've been wanking so much that my hand is starting to hurt. It's kind of embarrassing, really. Can't even remember having been that bad while having a crush on bloody Madame Hooch during fifth year."   
George snorted. "I've been taking lots of cold showers lately. But the nights when she's with you are almost unmanageable. Wanking doesn't do much good here, but it helps releasing the worst of pressure. Still I feel like I'm constantly on edge."  
"Yeah." Fred agreed and they lay in silence for a while.   
"Fred, I can't go on like this." George finally admitted. "I don't understand what is happening here. It's never been like that before. I just want to be with her the whole time, well actually with both of you…"  
Fred patted him on the shoulder affectionately while releasing a humourless laugh. "It's because you are falling for her, you idiot." he said and sighed. "Me too, in case you are wondering."  
George knew Fred was right. He hadn't seen it before because it had never happened to either of them. There has been the occasional crush and of course they had dated Angelina and Katie during their sixth year for some months, whom they had definitely fancied. But it had never been like this. "What a mess. This wasn't supposed to happen." he groaned and buried his face into his hands. "I don't want to feel like that for the rest of my life."  
Fred snorted. "No? Well, then we'll need to do something about it. Because there is quite an easy solution to our misery."  
George stared at him as he felt the first wave of giddy feelings from his twin through the bond. "You're going to woo her, aren't you?"  
"Nope." Fred said and grinned at him conspiratorially. "We are going to woo her and she won't know what hit her. This isn't just about the weekly shagging any longer, it's about conquering the witch of our dreams. And I think that calls for the combined charm of the Weasley twins."   
George stared at him but of course he knew Fred was serious. "You think she can fall in love with the both of us?"  
Fred shrugged. "Why not, it has happened before. Hermione is far from prejudiced, even though she is muggleborn. And she got herself already involved with us and she is coping quite well I think."  
George scratched his head. "Well, there's no harm in trying I guess. We've got nothing to lose."  
Fred snapped his fingers with a grin. "Exactly. And you know what the two of us can manage, when we put our mind on something and really take an effort."  
George smiled. "You are right. We can do this."  
And so they put their heads together and started planning. 

++++++++

Hermione was having a lie in. It was Sunday after all, and she didn't have anything to do today. And so she just ignored the noises that were coming from the kitchen which let her know that the twins were already up. She just turned around, buried her head deep into the pillow and slept on. It wasn't until her nose caught the delicious smell of coffee and pancakes, which seemed to be directly in front of her, that she finally woke up. She blinked her eyes open sleepily and paused. Because there were coffee and pancakes in front her.  
"Good morning, sleeping beauty." she heard Fred's voice whispering into her ear. He must have climbed on her bed from behind because suddenly he was on the bed next to her.  
"We thought we'd have breakfast in bed today." George announced in front of her and put the tray he had been holding in front of her face on her nightstand. Then he climbed into bed in front of her. "Move over a bit, love. If we squeeze together a bit we'll fit in your bed just nicely." He grinned.   
Hermione was a bit overwhelmed at first as part of her was still sleepy. But actually, it was a nice idea. And so she crawled back towards Fred a bit and lifted her covers for his brother. George climbed in next to her grinningly, before gently lifting the tray into his lap. Fred must have also hidden a tray somewhere, because suddenly there weren't only coffee and pancakes in front of her but there were also whipped cream and bowls with strawberries, pineapple and grapes on Fred's side of the bed. She could feel her mouth starting to water.  
"Wow, you've really outdone yourselves with this." she marvelled and took the mint green coffee mug that she had claimed for herself and took a sip. It was prepared exactly as she liked it, sweet with just a bit of milk. She hummed appreciatively.   
"Fred and I thought it was time to treat ourselves a bit. We've been working so hard in the last weeks and the opening of the shop was a big success." George explained and popped a grape into his mouth.   
Fred had meanwhile prepared himself a pancake with maple syrup and took the first large bite next to her. He groaned with pleasure. "Gods, this is delicious. There's nothing better for breakfast than pancakes."   
Hermione grinned. "Can't refute you on that." She took herself a strawberry and moaned when she tasted how sweet it was. "I can't believe I've never done this before. Did you know? I've never before eaten breakfast in bed." she confessed and let herself sink back into the covers.   
"Never?" Fred asked her completely stunned. "Well, we'll definitely have to change that, won't we Georgie?" he winked at his twin.  
George grinned, while popping another grape into his mouth. "Definitely. I vote we do this every Sunday from now on."  
Hermione looked at him flabbergasted. "Are you serious? You don't have to, you know?"  
But he just grinned and put an arm around her shoulder. "Nonsense."  
Fred nodded and mirrored his motion on her other side, so that she was now tightly sandwiched between them. "I say it's finally time for us to spoil you a bit. And we are not exactly suffering here, you know? So, a weekly breakfast in bed it is. Strawberry?" he asked innocently and held a big, dark strawberry in front of her lips. She gently took it from his fingers with her teeth and sucked it into her mouth. It was delicious!  
"Well, who am I to reject such a brilliant idea?" Hermione said and sighed happily. The twins grinned at her in unison.   
"We knew that an intelligent witch like you could not refute such a brilliant plan, " they said and cast her a charming smile. And Hermione's heart did an involuntary leap. 

++++++++

The plan with the breakfast had worked brilliantly, and Fred was confident to move to the next stage of their seduction-campaign – that's what he called it in his head – even if the plan was less seduction and more making her fall in love with them. Whatever, the making-her-fall-in-love-campaign was really a mouth full, even if he would just use it in his head. Seduction plan was sounding so much better and so he went with it.  
He and George had agreed that it would be a good idea to take Hermione out of their flat. They had been bunked up there for far too long and finally needed to see some people other than themselves. Fred didn't want her to feel isolated because he hated the feeling. And so they had sent a patronus to the Burrow last night and asked their parents if they could join them for dinner. Their mum had of course been delighted. She loved having people over, especially family. And as the Burrow was well warded and Hermione was feeling almost at home there, it was a good place for a first outing.   
They had announced their invitation to the burrow at breakfast to Hermione and she had been very pleased to spend the evening there. In fact, she didn't talk about much else throughout the day and was ushering them towards the floo at exactly 7 p.m.   
"Fred, George, we need to hurry. Molly will surely already expect us." she urged them, but Fred only rolled his eyes good-naturedly. They stumbled into their mum's living room only a minute later where they were indeed already expected.  
"Fred, George!" their mum shouted and pulled them into a fierce hug before peppering their faces with kisses. After what felt like an age, she finally let them go and turned towards their wife. "Hermione, dear! It's so nice to have you back here!" She hugged her affectionately. "Have the boys been treating you well?"  
Hermione nodded. "They've been great!" she admitted smilingly, and Fred couldn't suppress the proud grin spreading on his face.   
"That's good to hear. They are of course great boys, but we still couldn't help but be a bit worried."  
Hermione pulled back from their mother and sent them an affectionate smile. "There's nothing to worry about. I couldn't have done better." Fred's heart danced a little jig at these words. Maybe it wouldn't be all too difficult in the end to make her love them back.   
A pat on the shoulder pulled him from his thoughts and as he turned around, Fred saw Bill grinning at him. "You look well brother." he murmured and pulled him into a bear-hug. "I would have never guessed, but married live seems to suit you."  
He grinned boyishly. "We are already making a jokester out of her. Who would have thought that Hermione Granger would one day be running the joke shop with us."  
Bill grinned at him. "That's actually not what I meant at all and I think you know it, brother."  
Fred shrugged helplessly. "If you say so."  
They quickly moved into the dining room where a big table had been laid out for dinner. Their mum had of course outdone herself and it looked like she had cooked all of their favourites. And since they had skipped lunch due to their long and extensive breakfast his stomach was already rumbling expectantly.  
"Ron." Hermione's voice suddenly exclaimed tonelessly from behind him. And as he looked up from the table, Fred suddenly spotted his brother lurking in the back of the room in front of the window. He had buried his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers and watched them with a guarded expression. Fred had to admit that his little brother indeed looked horrible. There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was long and unkempt, and his clothes looked even more saggy then usual on him. It was obvious that he had lost weight over the last weeks.   
"Hey Ronnekins." he forced himself to greet his little brother teasingly. "Did you finally manage to throw the ghoul out of your bedroom or are you still bunking with Bill and Fleur?"  
Ron looked at him with a strange expression. "'M staying with Bill," he mumbled and then moved his eyes towards Hermione.  
"Hey Mione," he greeted her awkwardly. "'M sorry that you've got to meet me here. I wanted to stay behind at Shell Cottage, I swear, but Fleur and Bill simply wouldn't let me be." Ron explained desperately and looked towards his feet. Hermione stared at him with a mixture of confusion and hurt but didn't say anything and Fred couldn't help but tense. Gosh, why hadn't they considered the possibility of meeting their idiot of a brother here. The whole purpose of this visit had been to make their witch happy and not to remind her of the rejection she had experienced through the hands of their cowardly little sibling.   
"I know that I'm possibly the last person you want to see at the moment." Ron continued hastily while looking back at her. And finally, their eyes met. Hermione looked at him for a long moment before her composure finally broke and she leaped towards him with a choked sob.  
"Ron, you idiot," she scolded and threw herself into his helpless arms. "Of course, I want to see you!" she cried into his shoulder and Fred looked at George cluelessly. But his twin just shrugged and motioned with his head towards the other end of the room. They retreated silently and were soon joined by Bill and his wife.  
"Was about time these two made up," his oldest brother harrumphed. "He's been moping around the cottage like a male version of Moaning Myrtle."  
Fred snorted and looked towards his wife who seemed to give his little brother a firm lecture. Maybe coming to the Burrow hadn't been such a bad idea at all. 

++++++++ 

The day had been a huge success so far, George thought, when they stumbled back into their living room around ten. He had not only spent lots of time close to his favourite witch, but Hermione was also positively glowing with happiness. And it made him want to burst with joy.   
Fred excused himself into his bedroom quickly and George couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sunday was his and Hermione's night after all. But at the same time, George was feeling giddy with anticipation.   
"Shall we retreat into my bedroom, love?" he asked her gently and took her hand into his. She smiled at him with sparkling eyes. George didn't wait for an answer after that and just pulled her into a passionate kiss. She obviously hadn't been expecting this, as she gasped in surprise before kissing him back.   
"I've missed you." he confessed to her while kissing her over and over again and burying his fingers deep into her thick curls. Her hair was wild as always, but he loved running his fingers through it. Together with the delicious taste of her mouth, it was almost making him drunk with happiness.   
"Did you now?" she teased him, while pulling his shirt from his trousers before running her hands across the naked skin of his abdomen. He groaned and kissed her even more fiercely. She chuckled into his mouth and moved her hands confidently across his sides towards his back, where she gripped him tightly with her fingers. He arched his back shudderingly and pulled her even closer. But it wasn't enough.   
"My room." he groaned into her mouth with a voice that was already thick with passion and George made a quick decision and just lifted her up without breaking their heated kiss. She inhaled with surprise but quickly caught on and held into him tightly with her legs and arms.   
He had her on his bed thirty seconds later. Fred would have just ported them, but he enjoyed carrying her though the flat while ravishing her with his mouth. It was hot and he had dreamed of doing it more than once during the last weeks. But it wasn't the only thing George had dreamed of that he would finally allow himself to do.   
"Did I ever tell you that I love your hair?" he murmured into her ear while kneading her scalp with his fingers. Then he nibbled at her earlobe playfully, before burying his tongue into the shell of her ear. Hermione gasped and started writhing beneath him. She obviously liked it. George didn't let go and simply kept on teasing her, while sliding his fingers expertly beneath her shirt. She groaned and pulled away from his lips before he suddenly felt her mouth on his neck, were she started sucking violently at his pulse point.  
"George, please…" she moaned, as he moved his fingers slowly towards her bra. He cradled her head with his hand and searched for her eyes passionately.   
"Please what?" he asked and pulled her into another heated kiss. "What can I do for you, love?" Her fingernails started digging into the skin of his back, but it just turned him on more. Hermione didn't answer him directly and moved her hands to his belt instead, where she started tugging determinedly. George smiled and slipped his hand beneath her bra, where he cupped her expertly with his hand. He was immediately rewarded with a delicious moan from her lips. The tugging on his belt increased.  
"Gods, George…" Hermione gasped, before latching onto his throat again. Tomorrow he would have some pretty impressive love bites, he was sure. "Please make love to me…" she begged, and his heart almost missed a beat. Did she just… but maybe the choice of words was unintentional? He didn't mind. George would take everything she was willing to give him.  
"Getting impatient, are we?" he teased, before kissing his way down her throat. As he reached the collar of her shirt, he stopped and angled his wand from his back pocket with a practised motion. A silent wand motion later she was completely naked beneath him. Her eyes almost bulged out when she realized what he had done.   
"That was impressive." she admitted, and he grinned at her.  
"Good. Because I love to impress you." he said before continuing his kisses along her collar bone and further down. "But back to your little request." George kissed his way around her breast before he started sucking on the tip. "I will make love to you, Hermione. But first I want to taste you, all of you. And I will be taking my time with that. So be prepared for a long evening."  
She moaned his name at that and for him it was the sweetest sound on earth. George smiled to himself while he moved his kisses further down across her belly to her hip bones. Today he would make her his, he told himself. He would map her body with his mouth before doing exactly what she had asked him to do. He would make love to Hermione and show her exactly how much he wanted her. And maybe, just maybe, she would want him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are wondering about the update schedule for this story: I plan to upload a chapter for this every day. The story is already finished and I just have to go through all the comments my beta made for me. So uploading a chapter per day should be easily possible for me.


	9. Lessons given and taken

Hermione awoke in a cocoon of warmth. Her head was still foggy from sleep, but she was in no rush to get up soon. It was just too comfortable in George's bed with his warm body spooning her from behind. And so she just snuggled closer into his naked chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.  
Yesterday had been intense. First their breakfast together in her bed and then the visit to the burrow. Seeing Ron had been strange at first. Their last personal contact had been their heated kiss in the Chamber of Secrets and then… nothing. She hadn't seen him once since the battle. Looking back at the last weeks she was almost sure that Ron has been avoiding her. He had admitted to her yesterday that he felt bad for not saving her from the law, but retrospectively she was happy that he had refused. And Ron really didn't seem to be in a good shape at the moment, so he might be in need of saving as much as she was.   
As the evening progressed, something of their old friendship sparked back to life and Hermione felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. After losing Harry, it had almost been too much for her to also lose Ron. But now she was determined to not let this happen. He was simply too important to her and they had already gone through so much together - even if one only considered their year on the run and ignored all of their previous history together. Hermione would not lose him now, even if times were getting more and more difficult. She would simply not allow it.  
All in all, it had been a great evening at the burrow full of laughter and lively talking. It had reminded Hermione that she still had a family she belonged to. And this made her unbelievably happy.  
But the icing on the cake had been the night that followed with George. To call it intense wouldn't even start to describe it. There were simply no words for it. Their last encounters had been undeniably nice, and she had thoroughly enjoyed them every time. But yesterday had made her realize, how much George had held back in the past. Last night she had felt like a candle burning on both ends and she was sure that in the end she had screamed his name so loudly that Fred must have heard them in his room for sure. And in the light of the next day she couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed because of it.   
And then there was George. She didn't know how to act in front of him any longer. Should she kiss him when he woke up? She definitely wanted to, but was it appropriate? What were they even to each other now? Friends? Friends with benefits? Or more than that? She didn't know and if Hermione hated something, then it was not knowing.  
"You're brooding." she heard him murmur into her hair and felt how he pulled her closer into his arms. "Stop it."  
"Can't help it." she admitted and started to shift away. "It's who I am, George."  
But he didn't let her go and pressed her firmly against his warm body. "Maybe, but that's not what this is. You are starting to over-analyse and that's totally unnecessary."  
Hermione sighed and relaxed into his arms. "You think so? I just feel so confused. And I… I just don't know any longer. What are we to each other, George?"  
He didn't answer immediately and nuzzled her ear with his nose instead. "We are whatever you want us to be." he finally whispered into her ear. "Take your time and think about it, Hermione. I will be there no matter what you decide. But please, don't … pull away because you feel afraid or something, because there's nothing to be afraid of between the two of us."  
Her heart thudded wildly in her chest and she nodded. "I promise." she said and felt George relax behind her. She would do just that. There was definitely something happening between the three of them, not just between her and George. And Hermione was determined to figure out what it was.

++++++++

Fred prepared breakfast for them this morning. He didn't enjoy cooking very much, but they had decided to split the chores equally between the three of them. It was the key to their parent's happy marriage and Fred was determined to have just that for himself – a happy marriage. And so he did his best to impress the two of them. He settled for toast with a variety of toppings. It was easy and quick to make. And as it was a workday for them, there wasn't time for fancy breakfast anyway.   
Hermione and George strolled from the bedroom just in time for the coffee to be finished.  
"Right in time." he said and served Hermione her coffee exactly like she preferred it - another secret of their parents: pay attention to the preferences of your spouse. His mum always prepared her dad's favourite food once a week and prepared tea and coffee for him. Dad on the other hand bought his mum her favourite chocolate every now and then. Her mum never took it for granted and it wasn't because they had always lived on a tight budget.  
Fred flung himself into the chair next to Hermione and poured himself a big mug of coffee. It had been a long night for him, too, as the bond didn't allow him to fall asleep until way past midnight. But it was fine to him, as it meant their seduction-campaign was coming along quite nicely, but he was still emotionally on edge. He definitely wasn't in the mood for talking this morning and so he settled for listening to Hermione's and George's conversation about possible improvements to the daydream charms. It was kind of interesting, actually.   
"What about a daydream charm featuring a Quidditch match? Could be nice for the boys, don't you think?" Hermione had just suggested, as suddenly a cat patronus zoomed into their kitchen. It stopped next to Hermione, sat down and said in the unmistakable voice of Professor McGonagall:  
"Hermione, I would very much like to invite you for tea this afternoon. My home, McGonagall manor, is connected to yours via floo. 4 p.m. would be preferable, if it would suit you. Please let me know your answer via patronus." And just like that the patronus dissolved in front of their eyes.   
Hermione looked at them questioningly. "Do you think I could go?" she asked and looked from one twin to the other. George shrugged and mumbled, "Sure" before taking a big bite from his toast. Fred looked at her with a stunned expression, "Are you seriously asking us for permission?" he asked flabbergasted.  
Hermione shrugged. "Yeah, it's only polite to ask first. Not just because we are married. It's nice to discuss things and not just assume for the other person, because that is just rude. But we are also working until 5 today, so I'm not sure if you'll need me around at the shop."  
Fred nodded. "It's alright if you go. George and I will be fine at the shop. And from tomorrow on there will hopefully be help from Lee and Verity. They already confirmed that they'd like to work for us again. So things will be easier soon."   
Hermione smiled at them happily. "That's great. Thank you, Fred, George. I'll send my answer to Minerva immediately. See you downstairs in 10 minutes."  
She leaped from her chair, waved at them and quickly rushed to her room. Fred followed her with his eyes until the door closed behind her. Then he took a sip from his cup and looked at his brother.   
"I wonder what McGonagall wants from her. I doubt she just invited her for polite conversation."  
George shrugged unconcernedly. "I'm sure Hermione'll let us know."  
And Fred agreed. Hermione had already told them so much about her past, and some of the things had been quite unpleasant. He didn't expect her to keep this stuff secret from them, if they just asked her.   
And that's what he did after Hermione returned home around seven. She was positively glowing and moving with a lightness that Fred hadn't seen on her for a very long time. It must have been a good visit, then.   
"What's got you in such a good mood?" he asked, after she stepped from the bathroom hummingly. She must have taken a shower, because her hair was still damp and smelled like Yasmine. He loved the scent of her shampoo. Her bare skin was only covered by a big fluffy bath towel, as she was obviously on the way to her room.  
Hermione looked at him surprisedly. "Oh, Minerva has convinced Professor Flitwick to give me some private tutoring." she said excitedly and tried to move past him. But he caught her hand quickly and pulled her towards him.   
"And just where do you think you are going?" he purred and pulled her close.   
"Why, my bedroom of course. I need to put on some clothes after all."  
He tsked before capturing her lips playfully with his. "Clothes are totally overrated." he said before nibbling at her bottom lip. "And it's Monday you know?" He traced his lip playfully with his tongue, before snatching the towel from her with a quick motion. She squeaked and jumped back in surprise.  
"Fred! What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a high-pitched voice and tried to cover herself with her hands. He just smirked at her boyishly.  
"I'm just giving you an incentive to move to my bed quickly. We wouldn't want you to catch a cold after all."  
"You are incorrigible." Hermione snorted and turned around, to march into the suggested direction. And Fred couldn't help but admire the view for a moment, before he followed her with a rakish grin. 

++++++++ 

Hermione enjoyed the training sessions with Professor Flitwick immensely. Next to Professor McGonagall, he was her favourite professor at Hogwarts after all. He had a lot of patience for his students and was brilliant at explaining the different spells to her. She enjoyed being his scholar again, even if it wasn't just for educational purposes. The order had lost lots of good fighters during the war, but they would need accomplished duellists to finish the Dark Lord and his lackeys for good. And so it was only natural that the professors were looking for volunteers to fill the ranks. Hermione luckily was already a member of the Order of the Phoenix and she readily agreed. But even if she was an intelligent witch, she wasn't really an accomplished fighter. It wasn't only due to her lack of suitable DADA professors, Harry had still managed just fine after all, but also due to the fact that fighting didn't come natural to her. She just wasn't a soldier. But desperate times called for desperate measures and Hermione was willing to dedicate herself to the cause. The professors had assured her that she would do brilliantly with appropriate tutoring. And so they had settled for three training sessions per week.  
Hermione had suggested to use the Room of Requirement for that purpose, but it was too difficult to get into Hogwarts these days. There was still the tunnel from the Hog's Head, but being seen in Hogsmeade regularly wouldn't do her any good. And so Professor Flitwick had invited her to his home instead. He lived in a small cottage at the outskirts of Devon, which was cosily decorated but had a huge underground cellar that must have been at least ten times the size of the building. Hermione mused that it was due to her Professor's goblin ancestry to build such a huge part of his home underground. But she couldn't refute the usefulness of it.   
To Hermione's astonishment, the whole underground part of the home was secret-kept with just Filius as secret keeper. It was only accessible through a door in the floor of the kitchen that suddenly appeared, as he let her in in the secret. It was brilliant! He explained to her that he would use it as a hideout, if things were going south politically. And she understood. As her former Professor was a half-breed in some people's eyes himself, life could get easily as bad for him as for the muggleborns.  
Fitting of a duelling champion, the cellar contained a huge practise room which was perfect for their purposes. And so they had started practising. She had of course heard the rumours that the small professor was a duelling champion, but she had never seen him in action before. It was inspiring. His movements were calculated and precise and his wand movements sharp, as he was throwing curses and charms towards her wordlessly. And even though she was able to hold her own for some time, she finally cracked under the weight of his spells. Filius had praised Hermione anyway and called her over to analyse their fight with her. His observations concerning her weaknesses were to the point and with his help she improved with every fight. And Hermione was eager to learn anything that he was willing to teach her. She had never seen herself as the person finally confronting Voldemort - and maybe she wouldn't have to – but somebody would have to do the deed. And if it came to it, she wanted to be prepared. 

++++++++

It was night when Fred was woken from his sleep by a loud banging on their front door. It was just after 3 a.m. as he stumbled from his bed bleary eyed and just clad in a pair of green boxers. He quickly grabbed his wand from the nightstand and rushed towards the front door. As he finally opened it, George was right next to him.  
They were greeted by four grim-looking aurors in black uniforms.  
"Fred and George Weasley?" the leader of the group greeted them with an inquiring tone. He had tanned skin and trimmed black hair and his pale grey eyes scanned them with a calculating look.  
"Yeah." George said next to him seriously.  
"We are here for your wife." the man explained, just as Hermione stumbled noisily from her room behind them.   
"Fred? George? What's wrong?" she asked confusedly and looked at the aurors in front of them. Then she moved towards them on bare feet but with her wand ready in her hand. And Fred started having a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling.  
"Hermione Weasley?" another of the aurors asked and stepped towards them. Fred automatically tensed.   
"Yes sir." Hermione said and stepped in front of him and George. "How can I help you gentlemen?" Her voice didn't seem agitated and sounded totally smooth, but the hand gripping her wand decidedly betrayed her cool manner.  
"I am auror McKirley. We are here to bring you to the ministry for questioning." the first auror explained evenly and made a step towards his wife. She immediately tensed.  
"Is this about the marriage law?" she asked, and he could have sworn that her voice was about to falter. But it stayed strong.   
"No, not the law. We are here on a different matter." the second auror explained impatiently and waved her off. "Will you come quietly, witch? Or will we need to drag you to the ministry?"  
Fred was about to do something very rash, but Hermione's hand was on his arm instantly. She must have felt what he was about to do and urged him to stay calm. "Can you at least tell me, what this is all about?" she pleaded, but the men shook their heads in unison.  
" 'M afraid not." McKirley said unapologetically and raised his chin. "Well, what is it, Mrs Weasley? Will you accompany us without a fight?"   
Hermione straightened her posture but slid her wand demonstratively back into the sleeve of her pyjama. "I will come with you, of course, as I have nothing to hide. I assume there's no time for getting dressed?"  
The second auror waved his wand boredly and a moment later they were clad in simple red robes and black shoes. Well, at least these aurors had figured out that he and George wouldn't let Hermione leave on her own with them.  
"Thank you, aurors." Hermione replied and stepped towards the visitors casually. But he and his twin were right behind her. "Well then, lead the way gentlemen." she said and just a moment later each of them was grabbed by the arm. Hermione had an auror to each side, and before Fred could react in any way, the group of three disappeared right in front of his eyes. Just a moment later he was pulled into a side-along apparition himself.

++++++++

When Hermione arrived with the two aurors accompanying her, Fred and George were nowhere to be seen. She was in a small room with a big wooden table in the middle with an uncomfortable looking wooden chair right in front of her. She was led to the chair wordlessly and followed without a struggle.   
Hermione had quickly decided that all would be lost if their resistance would be found out this early in the game. Therefore, it was absolutely important for her to appear totally innocent and as unthreatening as possible. And there were only two possibilities anyway. The first was that they have been found out. In this case, she would be hunted mercilessly. She wanted to avoid dragging Fred and George down with her at any costs and so it was important to reassure them and prevent them from attacking. The second possibility was that this interrogation was about an entirely different matter in which case she was hopefully innocent. Either way, flight or fight was not an option.  
They waited in the room in silence and none of the aurors was obviously going to inform her what all of this was about. And Hermione didn't bother to ask. Instead, she started doing some of the mental exercises that Filius had introduced to her a week ago. As expected, her mind calmed down instantly as her focus shifted inwards to her magical core and the pulsing of magical energy inside of her. It was strange exploring herself and feeling one's boundaries like that, but her teacher had explained to her that this was important, if one wanted to stretch one's magical powers. It was like stretching a muscle, he explained to her. One needed to use it constantly to train it and not just for performing one's daily tasks and routines. And that was what Hermione was trying to do.   
They waited in complete silence for almost half an hour. Hermione was not sure if they let her wait on purpose - to make her nervous - or if they were simply busy at the ministry. She didn't care either way and her mental exercise helped her to stay calm but awake, because it wouldn't do her any good to get tired now.  
Finally, the door to her right opened and two figures stepped through. The first was the short and stout figure of none other than Dolores Umbridge, who was clad in a sky-blue costume and a matching bow today. Next to her walked a man completely unknown to Hermione. He was middle aged, tall and thin with long, thick brown hair and a well-kempt moustache. He was also clad in auror robes, but they weren't black but dark red in colour and Hermione assumed that it showed his different rank within the auror corps.  
The two of them sat down on the other side of the table right across from Hermione and Umbridge smiled at her sweetly. She noted absently that they had been provided with much more comfortable looking, cushioned chairs but she guessed that they didn't want their "guests" to feel too comfortable.   
"Mrs Weasley," the man greeted her coldly and looked her straight in the eyes. "There has been a disturbance at the ministry tonight and I am authorized to question you with the use of Veritasserum concerning your involvement in the whole affair."  
Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. The good news was that she was definitely not involved in any disturbance at the ministry tonight. But what if they asked her any other compromising questions under the influence of the potion? She would inevitably endanger the professors and her husbands in that case because she wouldn't be able to lie or even refuse the answer. Merlin, this was bad, really bad.  
"Is there any use to refuse taking the potion?" she asked neutrally in the direction of the auror in red and received an unsettling smile from both of her opponents.   
"No. The use of the potion has been instructed by the new Minister himself. We are authorized to administer it forcefully if need be."   
Her heart started beating violently. If Voldemort himself was involved in the investigation, then he was keen on getting this information from her, whatever it may be. "Very well," she agreed and looked at her counterpart unflinchingly. "Then let's get this over with." She tried to stay calm but inwardly she started praying to whoever might listen to her pleas.   
The man in front of her nodded and suddenly one of the other aurors in black appeared next to her.   
"Put your head back and open your mouth." he instructed calmly, and Hermione could see a phial with a clear substance in his hand. She took a deep breath and did as she was told. Here we go then, she thought nervously before the first drop of the substance hit her tongue. And then her mind just stilled.

++++++++


	10. An impossible plan

Fred was pacing the waiting room agitatedly, while his twin was sitting on one of the chairs with his face in hands. The Ministry of Magic had taken Hermione from them and there was nothing they could do. They hadn't even realized that Hermione had been taken from them until it was too late. Stupid!  
Fred didn't even know where she was now and there was no way to find out. After arriving at the ministry's empty entrance hall, they were shown into a small waiting room on the second floor. The aurors that had accompanied them had just briefly explained that Hermione was directly brought into one of the interrogation rooms and that they were not allowed to accompany her there. Fred and George were to wait in this room instead and were not to leave it under any circumstances. To ensure just that the two guys positioned themselves in front of the closed door. And so Hermione was on her own, while Fred had no way of protecting her. He hated it.  
"Why did they take her?" George murmured while shaking his head helplessly. "She hasn't done anything!"  
"Not that we know of." Fred sighed and threw himself on the chair next to his twin. "But I imagine that they must have found something, or made up something. We always knew that she would be a thorn in their sides." He took his twin's forearm and squeezed it tightly. But there was no use in dwelling now. They simply didn't know why Hermione was interrogated. Nobody had bothered to tell them anything. And as long as there was no way of finding out themselves… he stilled. Well, there was a way to find out. Fred slid his wand from his sleeve and fished out a tiny item that was hidden inside of the waistband of his boxers with his other hand. A wand wave later he had enlarged it to a perfectly functioning set of extendable ears. He motioned his head towards the door and whispered, "Do you wanna try to find out what all of this is about?"  
"Do I want to know why you hide extendable ears in your underwear?" George asked inquiringly but shook his head just a moment later. "Probably not. Well let's give it a try." He nodded grimly. And they set themselves to work.

++++++++

The door to the waiting room burst open half an hour later as another set of aurors accompanied Fred's parents inside before closing the door firmly behind them again. They looked as rumpled as he felt. His mother was looking teary eyed and agitated, whereas his father wore a grim but collected expression.  
"Fred! George!" their mum shouted as soon as she had taken notice of them. "Did they drag you here, too?" Fred gave her a puzzled look.  
"What are you saying? Who else did they take?" he asked and looked towards his father.  
"They've brought in Ron." his father said darkly and sat himself down on a chair next to George. "Poor boy just moved back in with us a week ago."  
George nodded understandingly. "They've got Hermione, too. Brought her here almost an hour ago."  
Their mother sniffed. "Poor dear. Do you have any idea what this is all about? They didn't explain anything to us, just dragged us here in the middle of the night."  
Fred nodded. "Same here. They didn't say anything to us. But we might have heard a thing or two…"  
His father raised an eyebrow inquiringly but didn't say anything. His mother on the other hand was on the chair next to him a second later. "Well then, out with it boys." she said and looked at them impatiently. Fred sighed and started explaining:  
"Apparently there was a break-out from a ministry holding cell tonight. Looks like they brought Neville in after his little stunt towards You-Know-You at the battle. I always wondered what happened to him."  
"Tonight he seemed to have mysteriously disappeared from his cell." George continued in his stead. "As far as we've heard there are no signs of a break in or break out in the cell and nobody seems to have seen anything. It's all very mysterious."  
"Do you think they just killed him?" his mother asked sounding horrified, but Fred shook his head.  
"No, I think in this case they would have let him disappear silently and not make such an uproar."  
George nodded and his father hummed agreeingly. "Yeah, that makes sense. They seem to think he really managed to get away. That's the reason they are questioning Ron and Hermione. They were friends at Hogwarts and everybody knows it. I guess the ministry thinks they broke him out."  
His mother huffed annoyedly. "That's preposterous. Breaking into the ministry? Ron and Hermione would do no such thing!" she exclaimed confidently, and Fred couldn't suppress a snort. Maybe not today, he thought. But those two have it definitely in them. George stayed silent. But Fred knew he thought the same. 

++++++++

Hermione was brought back to them thirty minutes later. She seemed grumpy and tired, but otherwise unharmed and Fred was feeling relieved to no end. It had been horrible to not be able to protect his witch and he and George had silently agreed to speed their secret project along as soon as possible because they wanted to be prepared when things escalated the next time. And they were pretty sure that it was only a matter of time before things went south.  
They left the ministry as soon as Ron was back from his interrogation. His little brother looked worn and tired but, compared to the last time they had seen him at the burrow, he actually looked a bit better. It seemed that his little talk with Hermione had helped Ron back onto his feet. Good.  
Hermione rushed towards her best friend as soon as the door had closed behind him and pulled him into a tight hug. Fred couldn't help the spark of jealousy that flared up in his heart when his brother and Hermione started whispering in hushed tones to each other. But Fred crushed it down mercilessly. It was only natural that his wife was glad to know her best friend was safe from the clutches of the ministry.  
They learned that Hermione and Ron had been questioned under Veritasserum which was quite unsettling to know. It wasn't long ago that the substance was restricted to the interrogation of subjects that were already proven guilty or for cases where no other way of gaining information was possible. That the ministry was handing it out like candy now was quite worrying.  
They were all too agitated to go back to sleep and as it was 5 a.m. already when Hermione, George and he returned home, they settled for an early breakfast with lots of coffee.  
"I wonder how Neville got out." George mused while pouring some syrup into his oatmeal. "Breaking out might not be impossible but without leaving a trace? That's quite a feat. Didn't know he had it in him."  
"Me neither." Fred admitted and sliced a banana, before putting it into his own bowl. "He must have had help, I guess. What do you think Mione?"  
"Dunno." his wife murmured tiredly and stirred her coffee absently. It seemed to him like she was miles away in her head. Her eyes just stared straight ahead into the air and he could already hear the wheels in her head spinning. Something was worrying her and by the state of her bottom lip that was badly tortured by her teeth it was worrying her badly. He cast a questioning side glance at his brother, who nodded at him encouragingly.  
"Mione? Are you still with us?" he asked and suddenly Hermione's focus shifted back towards them.  
"What's wrong love?" his brother added and focused on her with a worried glance.  
Hermione sighed and looked at them seriously. "We need a way to keep our secrets." she said urgently and fixed them with an unflinching stare. "Today we were lucky, because they just wanted to know things I didn't know and couldn't tell them anything about. But what will we do the next time, or the time after that? Because I am quite sure now that they will come for me again." She was desperate, this much Fred could tell. "I have way too many secrets that they must never know of. It's not only about the knowledge I have gathered but also about which of you I could endanger by admitting that you are working with me. I've got no way to keep those things from them if they ask me under Veritasserum. God, this is a nightmare!"  
Hermione started pulling her hair, her breakfast totally forgotten. Unfortunately, Fred was absolutely clueless how to help her.  
"There must be a way, to resist Veritasserum." George stated confidently and sipped slowly at his coffee. His brother wasn't one to back out from a challenge and Fred knew that he would work tirelessly until he found a solution for her. But Hermione sighed tiredly.  
"Well, not many. It isn't that popular for interrogations for nothing. I've done some research on it back in my fifth year, but besides Occlumency there isn't much one can do."  
Fred nodded. "Well, then you'll obviously need to learn Occlumency and teach us afterwards." he said confidently but at that Hermione was looking even more grim.  
"I'd love to! It's really a useful skill. But it's not widely taught and as far as I know not even a handful of people know how to do it. From the Order there were only Snape and Dumbledore accomplished enough and both of them are dead."  
He frowned. "Couldn't you just learn it from a book?"  
"Well, I've read a book on Occlumency back in fifth year when Harry tried to learn it and I think I've grasped the concept of it. But there're not many books on the topic to begin with. Even if I found one and taught myself I'm pretty sure I'd need some personal instructions sooner or later. There is a good reason only a few people are able to do it. It's quite advanced, you know?"  
George nodded but Fred could tell he was far from giving up. "Well, in this case we'll have to find you an instructor I guess."  
And Fred suddenly got the idea. It was brilliant, a bit insane, but still brilliant nonetheless. He grinned. "Yeah, don't worry. We just know the person."  
She looked at them disbelievingly. "Whom?"  
They grinned in unison. "Well, Dumbledore of course."

++++++++

They met for tea with Professor McGonagall in the afternoon. Hermione had made a floo call to McGonagall manor just after they finished their breakfast and had asked for a meeting. And Minerva, who must have sensed Hermione's desperation, had readily invited them over.  
Fred had never been to her place before and he couldn't help but feel a bit out of his comfort zone. He had always pictured their transfiguration professor living in a cosy cottage somewhere in the middle of the highlands, but her ancestors must have been rich landlords, as Minerva's home was a small castle itself.  
"Thank you for having us." Hermione greeted the older witch in a humble tone, after being led to a cosy little sitting room. The walls here were covered with hunting trophies of boars and deer as well as different swords and shields and Fred couldn't help but stare at the unusual display. It was quite an uncommon sight for a wizarding household.  
"Of course." the Professor replied while sitting them down on a group of comforting looking wing chairs in front of the fire. "I've got the impression it is quite urgent."  
Hermione nodded solemnly and started repeating their nightly experiences and the implications to the older witch.  
"Well, this is really quite unsettling." Minerva finally said, after her face had looked more and more worried throughout Hermione's explanations. "You are of course correct my dear. It is of utmost importance to keep our endeavours a secret. I didn't expect that they'd start using Veritasserum this readily. It's never been used to this extent before." She hummed consideringly and took a sip from her elegant teacup that was brought to her by a house elf during Hermione's explanations. "The less involved of us could always extract the compromising memories and put them into a pensive. Headmaster Dumbledore luckily left me the pensive that was in his possession, because these artefacts are unfortunately quite rare and very expensive. But quite frankly this will not be an option for you Hermione, as it affects too many memories in your case. Because as long as they are extracted you would lose access to them and frankly you wouldn't remember much of the plan after that. But we'll need you at your full capacity Hermione."  
His wife nodded. "Occlumency would be the safest and most useful option," she said. "But there aren't many books on the topic to begin with and without an instructor I might not be able to learn much."  
Minerva nodded gravely. "Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape were of course able to do it and as it turned out, Professor Snape wasn't even to be trusted at all. As the Headmaster is unfortunately not available…"  
"Well, actually he is." Fred couldn't help but interrupt her. "Maybe not in person, no, but there's always the portrait, you know?"  
His former teacher looked at him disbelievingly. "Well Mister Weasley, this may be as it is, but you forget, that the school is no longer in our hands and the office of the Headmaster is currently inhabited by no other than Lucius Malfoy."  
Fred nodded totally unconcerned and raised his eyebrows at the older woman. "So? It's not like we haven't broken into the Headmaster's office before." he stated coolly and grinned at her. "Actually, we've done it regularly since fifth year, didn't you know?"  
She looked at them unbelievingly, but George confirmed it with a serious nod. "It's actually quite easy Professor. The question is, if it would be worth the effort. Do you think the Headmaster might be able to help us with this?"  
Minerva didn't say anything for a while and stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Well Messrs Weasley, he actually just might."

++++++++

Hermione used the following two days to read anything on Occlumency she could get her hands on. The twins seemed to be busy themselves as they usually sat together at the fire in the evenings and talked to each other in hushed tones, or they retreated into Fred's room altogether. They weren't just planning their break-in into Hogwarts, as they had ensured Hermione that they already had a plan concerning that. It was something else they were working on. But Hermione was too busy to ask them at the moment, as she was desperately trying to cram as much information on occlumency into her brain as she could manage in such a short timeframe. The basics were pretty clear, and she had no problems with visualisation or the concept of organizing one's thoughts in a certain way. She was a very organized person herself and it only seemed logical to also sort memories and knowledge in a similar way. But she was not sure which was the best approach for her to do it and if it would help her through an interrogation with Veritasserum. Well, hopefully the visit to Hogwarts would provide some answers to that.  
On the third day after visiting Minerva it was finally time to make their silent trip into Hogwarts. They had all agreed that they should attempt their break-in soon, as it was still the summer holidays and the castle was therefore mostly empty. Of course, Filch and Hagrid stayed on the school grounds all year long, but if they were lucky none of the other teachers would be around. That was at least what they hoped for.  
"Well? Do you want to enlighten me about your plan?" Hermione asked her husbands with raised eyebrows as they were about to leave for the castle.  
Fred grinned. "Sure. We think we should use the tunnel from the Hog's Head as it leads us directly into the castle. Honeyduke's would of course also be an option, if you prefer that route."  
Hermione shrugged. "I'll go with whatever you think is best."  
George nodded. "Then we'll go and visit Aberforth. Come on."  
They apparated to the outskirts of Hogsmeade, where the village was surrounded by a small forest. Here it would be difficult to spot their arrival, they thought, and as they appeared between the trees, they found that this part of the plan had worked perfectly.  
"Nobody around." Hermione murmured after she had checked the area silently. Then she pulled the hood of her blue cloak deeper into her face. "Now what?"  
"Let's disillusion ourselves. Better safe than sorry I say." George proposed and Fred nodded.  
"Well," Hermione said slowly and couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed. "You may have me at an advantage here. As we always used Harry's cloak, I never bothered to learn the spell myself." She was mortified by the fact, but it was true. There had always seemed to be more important things for her to learn so that she had simply ignored learning this useful spell. But she swore to herself that she would correct that mistake as soon as possible.  
"No problem," Fred replied to her completely unflustered. "You happen to have two brilliant husbands at your disposal." He winked at her and a muttered spell later he had perfectly disillusioned her. Then he did the same to his own person as George cast the spell on himself.  
"Thank you, Fred," she said and couldn't help but be impressed by his skills. Disillusionment was not a spell taught at school, as it was fairly advanced. But the twins had just both cast it with ease. It proved once more what she had known for a very long time. Those two were brilliant, if they wanted to be and actually made an effort.  
"Anytime Mione," she heard Fred's voice next to her, and felt him take her hand into his. "Now let's start moving. We have a busy night ahead of us."  
The way to the headmaster's office was almost disappointingly uneventful. Hermione had at least prepared herself for a little disturbance, but apart from Aberforth, who seemed to have a sweet spot for the twins, they didn't meet a soul. Hermione couldn't believe her luck. She was also quite astonished to find the Room of Requirement totally unscratched by the damage done during the battle. Because it has only been about 6 weeks ago that it was completely swallowed by fiendfire and Hermione had only barely escaped the deadly flames herself.  
They were in front of the motionless statue of the gargoyle only 15 minutes after setting a foot into Hogsmeade and Hermione couldn't help but start getting nervous. How were they supposed to get into the office without the password?  
"Hi Morty." Fred said casually and a moment later he must have lifted the disillusionment on himself as he appeared next to her. To Hermione's great astonishment the statue started moving and turned her head towards him.  
"Well, well. Long time no see, gentlemen." the gargoyle said sulkily and sniffed the air. "You can come out, too. As you haven't visited me in ages, I at least expect to see you when you bring me the newest gossip."  
George snorted and a moment later he and Hermione were visible in front of the talking statue. Hermione was flabbergasted. She hadn't even known that the gargoyle moved and talked at all. She couldn't remember reading anything about it in "Hogwarts: A History" and as they had seen the Headmaster, the statue had always stood there silent and unmoving.  
"Hi Morty." George greeted him with a respectful nod. "May I introduce you to our wife? That's Hermione," he motioned towards her and said proudly. "She's clever, brilliant actually, and we managed to convince her to work with us at the shop."  
Morty snorted. "You've corrupted her, haven't you?"  
The twins shrugged grinningly. "Nah, just given her the right ideas."  
The statue waved impatiently. "Whatever. Well? What have you brought me this time?"

++++++++

"I still can't believe you bribed the gargoyle." Hermione said in a hushed tone when they moved up the winding staircase ten minutes later.  
Fred huffed. "We didn't bribe him, it was more an exchange of favours. The poor sod is bored out of his mind. He loves gossip like all inhabitants of Hogwarts. And even more he loves seeing some of our products in action."  
George nodded. "One could say we are kind of friends. He is lonely, you know? No one ever really talks to him, except us."  
Hermione shook her head. Those two always managed to surprise her. And once more she was glad to have them on her side. The wizarding kind could really use more of their out-of-the-box-thinking.  
They were at the door to the office a minute later.  
"Now to the difficult part," George whispered. "Fred and I will disillusion ourselves and go in first. We'll cover and silence all portraits, except Dumbledore's, because we don't want anyone ratting us out to Malfoy. Wait for two minutes outside, before you join us in the office."  
Hermione nodded appreciatively and a moment later the twins disappeared before her eyes. Those two really knew what they were doing. She waited in silence and after exactly 150 seconds she silently opened the door in front of her. The office was almost completely dark. Only a lonely candle on the desk was shining some light into the room and gave it an almost ghostly atmosphere. Fred and George were nowhere to be seen but Hermione was sure they were waiting for her somewhere inside.  
She silently stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind her again. The office looked very different from the Headmaster's office she had known before. It was now decorated by countless bookshelves which were neatly filled with expensive and ancient looking tomes, scrolls and also some expensive looking potion ingredients. In one of the corners there was even a small potion lab. Hermione never expected Lucius Malfoy to be much of a reader or brewer, but maybe these things were still from Snape's time as Headmaster of the school. Hermione shuddered and cast a hasty glance towards the portraits on the walls but as the twins had promised, only the frame of Headmaster Dumbledore was visible. Good. He was the only one of them that she trusted.  
"Good evening Professor," she finally greeted him politely and stepped in front of the frame. There, Professor Dumbledore already waited for her with an unreadable expression.  
"Miss Granger," he answered calmly and studied her with his twinkling blue eyes. "I can't say I've been expecting you. These are quite dark times, as I've heard."  
Hermione nodded darkly. "It is Mrs Weasley now actually." she corrected him calmly. "I'm not sure how much you know about the situation, but there has been a marriage law concerning all muggleborns."  
The Headmaster nodded gravely. "I have heard of the law. Considering your name change I assume young Mister Weasley has finally offered for you? My congratulations. Is he the one accompanying you?"  
Hermione shook her head smilingly. "No, he didn't offer. But his brother's Fred and George have."  
Dumbledore's portrait blinked confusedly for a moment, before the tell-tale smile was back into place. "Excellent. That explains the grand entrance into the office then. You've always felt at home here, haven't you Gentlemen?"  
Fred and George grinningly appeared next to her. "Your lemon drops were simply the best." Fred smirked. "And there were always so many things to explore in here. It was simply irresistible to us. Pity they seem to have disappeared."  
The old portrait chuckled. "Well, Lucius was never one for clutter," he said. "But what brings you here today? I assume this is not a social call."  
Hermione shook her head sadly. "It is not. We need your help, Professor. How much do you know of the present situation?"  
Dumbledore sighed. "Not enough I fear. Maybe you should start at the beginning," he suggested. Hermione nodded and then she began to explain.


	11. An unexpected ally

Hermione told Dumbledore a shortened version of the events. She summed up their Horcrux hunt and listed to him all the Horcruxes found and destroyed. She didn't bother with too many details, as she didn't know how much time they had before being interrupted. But Dumbledore didn't complain. As she finally retold the events at the ministry from a few days ago she could see the portrait of the Headmaster nod understandingly.  
"I see." he said, while his slim fingers stroked his long beard thoughtfully. "Well, first of all I am happy, that you are still willing to fight and end this dark episode, even though there have been terrible setbacks on the way. I must say I admire your dedication and braveness my dear." He twinkled at her smilingly. "And I assure you that I will support you in any way possible."  
Hermione nodded at him thankfully and observed from the corner of her eyes that Fred had left her side and rummaged through the office expertly. But she didn't pay him any mind, as she was sure that he knew what he was doing. She would ask him later about it. George remained at her side and guarded her, full of concentration.   
"You can teach her Occlumency then?" he asked the portrait expectantly.  
The Headmaster smiled grandfatherly. "Well, I could. But I think we should rather ask our expert on Occlumency. I am sure Severus has to offer some pretty helpful advice on the matter, as he taught himself, I believe."  
Hermione immediately stiffened. "Absolutely not." she said. "He is a traitor after all. And I will not see me or my family and friends endangered by him ever again." she stated resolutely and tightly clasped her arms in front of her breast. But Dumbledore seemed totally unfazed and studied her with a polite smile.  
"Don't you think I would know if my spy had betrayed us?" he asked her gently with twinkling eyes.  
Hermione paused. "Well… he killed you!" she exclaimed heatedly and looked towards George helplessly. But he simply shrugged without uttering a word.  
Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, I would hope so. I asked him to do it after all."  
She shook her head confusedly. "That makes no sense. Why would you do that? You were the only one who could match the Dark Lord in power. Why would you take yourself out of the game?"  
Dumbledore sighed. "It is not that easy I fear. And I would love to explain it to you, but for the moment you'll simply have to believe me. Professor Snape never betrayed us. He worked against Voldemort until he took his last breath."  
Her head was spinning at the implications of this. She wanted to ask so many questions because she wanted to understand. But he was right. There just was not enough time right now. "Alright," she finally agreed and looked towards her husbands. "Fred, George? What do you say?"  
"We trust your judgement, Hermione." they replied in unison and Hermione nodded. And just a second later the black curtain was lifted from the portrait next to the Headmaster. Professor Snape scowled at them with his ever-present dark expression but Hermione found that she could not be intimidated by it any longer.  
"Professor." she greeted and nodded towards him politely.   
"Miss Granger." he sneered and looked towards Dumbledore's portrait tiredly.  
"I hope you have good reason to let these morons waltz across our office like a horde of Nundus." the dark Professor muttered and looked at them with a dark scowl. "What do you want?"  
"Now, now, Severus." Dumbledore soothed him. "There is no need for any of that. Mrs Weasley and her husbands are in need of some of your valuable advice concerning Occlumency." he explained.  
Professor Snape snorted amusedly. "She married the terrible two? Well, I can't say I've seen that one coming. And I'm rarely surprised." He shook his head and looked at her with an unreadable expression. "Well Mrs Weasley," he said. "I am curious to learn about your reason for dipping into the art of Occlumency, but I am sure the old man will enlighten me later. There is a stack of most useful books at my old home, Spinners End, which you might find helpful. I might grant you access to its location and even be willing to tutor your progress. But there is something I want in return."  
Hermione nodded. Her former potions Professor was obviously in possession of lots of valuable knowledge and books which might be essential to their cause. But he was never known to be a man of charity. And she hadn't expected that to change after his death.  
"What do you want?" George asked next to her with an almost bored expression. Immediately, the eyes of the dark man were on him and he smiled dangerously.  
"Get me a portrait frame outside of the castle, preferably one where I won't be frequently disturbed. But it should be easily accessible to you."  
"A portrait frame?" Fred asked and peeked his head up from under the desk. "What do you want that for?"   
Severus Snape sighed in irritation. "Isn't it obvious? It's a nightmare being stuck next to these gossiping old fools all the time. It gives me a headache. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?"  
They had a deal. Hermione agreed to Snape's terms almost immediately as they were not only reasonable, but also provided her with access to a willing Occlumency instructor. Even if this person was her snarky potions Professor who never had a kind word for her. But well, she couldn't be picky.   
"Okay, I'll get you a frame. I'm still not sure where to set it up, but I will find you a good place." she promised.  
"Very well." Snape agreed with an almost neutral expression and just a moment later Fred exclaimed "Finished!" with a triumphant shout from under the Headmaster's desk. The former potions Professor raised an eyebrow at that. "Just what do you think you are doing, Mister Weasley?" he asked in a snide tone.   
But Fred just raised his shoulders totally unapologetically and grinned. "I guess you'll never find out," he said and grinned. "Because we are about to leave."  
Professor Snape scowled at that. "Let's hope you are as clever as you think you are. Because if Lucius ever finds out, he will skin you alive. And I mean that literally."  
But Fred didn't seem worried in the least and Hermione trusted him with her life. And so the three of them left the Headmaster's office shortly after, as there was nothing left to discuss and they didn't fancy hiding out from a certain up-nosed blonde Headmaster. 

++++++++

Hermione commissioned a frame for Snape only three days later. Even if it burned up the last of her savings from Gringott’s and she felt bad for being totally dependent on the twins from now on, it was worth every single galleon. And she was determined to earn her living with her husbands at the shop anyway, even if they had assured her that it wasn't necessary. Hermione wasn't one to live off charity and she was determined to prove her worth to them. Maybe it was stupid of her, but she never wanted them to regret having chosen her as a wife.  
"Did you decide where you want to put it?" George asked her at dinner and Hermione shrugged.   
"Not really, no. I don't think the flat is an option. I don't want to have him scowling at us in the living room and the bedrooms are totally out of question."  
Fred turned slightly green at the bare thought of it and Hermione totally understood. Just the thought of Snape watching her sleep was creepy at least, but him watching her perform her marital obligations was just … no…. absolutely not.  
"Nope." George agreed. "Not an option. Maybe the basement of the shop?"  
Hermione hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe, but don't Lee and Verity have also access to the basement? I don't fancy explaining to them why we have a portrait of Snape down there."  
"Good point." Fred agreed. "And as Flitwick and McGonagall don't particularly trust him at the moment, asking them is also not an option."  
"We'll have to change that." Hermione said seriously. "They need to know the truth about Dumbledore's death sooner or later."  
"True, but we don't actually know the whole truth ourselves. Dumbledore wasn't exactly forthcoming with information." George said carefully and Fred nodded agreeingly.  
"Well then, we'll just have to find out what happened." he said and leaned back in his chair casually.   
"Too bad we can't go back to Hogwarts regularly. Having access to Dumbledore's portrait would definitely give us an advantage in this whole war." Hermione mourned, but her husbands simply grinned at her boyishly.  
"Well…" they started together and looked at her with twinkling eyes. Hermione was instantly alarmed.   
"Okay boys, spit it out. What have you done?"  
George shrugged unapologetically. "I think it's best if we show you."

++++++++

George couldn't help being slightly worried about Hermione's reaction. What they'd done could possibly swing the war to their favour, but it was also totally illegal. And Hermione had always been a stickler for rules.   
"So let me get this straight," Hermione said with an unreadable expression on her face after they had finished their little demonstration and done a lot of explaining. "You've found a method to create illegal portkeys into Hogwarts."  
"Not just Hogwarts," Fred emphasized as if he was worried that Hermione wouldn't catch the brilliance of their invention. "We can program them to any location we have marked with the required anchor rune. This rune is what actually performs the pull that you feel at your navel while using a portkey. The portkey is just something like the vessel."  
Hermione nodded in understanding. "And you have put an anchor rune directly into the Headmaster's office?" She wanted to know and studied them with unreadable eyes.   
Fred nodded. "Yeah. And don't worry. He'll never find it. It's practically undetectable."  
She smiled at him gently. "I trust you, both of you." George's heart made a little jig dance at these words. For most people, he was just part of the infamous jokester-duo. They just expected a good prank from him, but rarely more. To know that Hermione really believed in him and trusted him made him proud beyond measure and he was more determined than ever to earn this trust.   
"I won't let you down, Hermione." he promised her and squeezed her hand gently, which earned him another smile from her.   
"Too bad we won't know when Malfoy leaves the office. I really don't fancy appearing on his lap or something like that." his witch said in a wistful tone, but of course they had crafted this plan very thoughtfully.  
"Well, we actually do know if he's there and we can even listen in on him, if we want." Fred said proudly and pulled a small glass bead from his trouser pocket. He enlarged it with a muttered "Engorgio" and suddenly they could see the headmaster's office in the inside of the Bludger-sized ball.  
Hermione stared at them speechlessly and opened and closed her mouth several times without articulating a single word. She looked at the glass orb once more, walked around it and finally shook her head confusedly. Right at this moment, Lucius Malfoy walked through the picture and one could clearly see him leaving the office through the door. "I don't know what to say." Hermione muttered and looked at them with something like awe. "I really have no idea how you did it. You bugged the headmaster's office. This should be impossible. There must be so many detection spells on this place and they obviously didn't catch anything."  
Fred smiled at her self-satisfiedly. "Well, those spells are designed to sniff out magical interceptions, but as our little device is mostly based on a muggle design…"  
He couldn't finish the sentence. Suddenly Hermione seemed to have recovered from her stupor, leaped towards him and sealed his lips with a heated kiss. George felt a small pang of jealousy at that, but a moment later she was in his arms too and kissed him with the same passion. But the kiss was over all too soon and she stood in front of them with a sheepish smile on her face.  
"Sorry, couldn't help myself here for a moment." she admitted with pink cheeks. But they just grinned at her like idiots.   
"Is there also sound transmitted through this thing?" Hermione finally asked and started to analyse the sphere with an admiring expression.   
" 'Course there is." Fred boasted and they readily leaped into an explanation. Hermione hung at their lips for every single word and George grinned. He should have known that the most certain way to charm Hermione Granger was to do something very clever.

++++++++

Hermione pulled Professor Snape's portrait out for the first time when she was alone in her room this evening. Even if she wouldn't put it there permanently, she wanted to talk to him as soon as possible. And so she settled herself on her bed cross-legged and propped the frame up against the foot-end of the bed.   
"Professor Snape? Can you hear me?" she called uncertainly into the empty frame and waited. For a moment nothing happened but suddenly the tiny figure of the professor appeared in the background and strode towards her with billowing black robes. She had to suppress a smile at the familiarity of it. He was in front of her only seconds later and looked at her with something like relief.  
"You kept your end of the bargain, I see. Thank Merlin. Those old doters just started discussing beard trimming techniques. Can you imagine? A minute longer and I would have simply clawed my ears out." He seemed to have composed himself then and turned around to study the background of the portrait thoroughly. Finally, he seemed to have finished his inspection and looked at her with glittering eyes. "You let them paint a library? Really?" he asked with something like incredulousness.   
She smiled sheepishly at him. Yes, there were tons of books in the background and most of them were recognizable by the titles written on their covers. She had even handed a huge pile of the intended books to the painter in the hope, that he could somehow capture their content inside of the portrait. And he assured her that he could make it work for the right price. And she had paid it willingly. "Well, I imagined that living as a portrait would be incredibly dull. Those Hogwarts portraits seem to be almost obsessed with gossip and news of any kind and I imagine it is due to the utter boredom of being confined into a frame. I couldn't really picture you gossiping around or something equally featherbrained. As I wasn't sure if brewing potions would be possible within a picture, I settled for the next best thing that sprang into my mind." She shrugged grinningly. "You can't blame me. I am a bookworm after all."   
He stared at her silently for a moment, before his eyes softened for a moment. "Thank you Mrs Weasley." he said. "That must be the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. This must have cost you a small fortune."  
Hermione smiled wistfully. "Could you please not do this?"  
He furrowed his brows and looked at her blankly. "Do what?"  
"Call me Mrs Weasley. This makes me sound… ancient." She smiled. "Hermione would be very much preferred."   
He inclined his head acceptingly. "Very well … Hermione. Where exactly are we?" He asked and inspected the room behind her. "Is that a … bed?"  
She couldn't help but chuckle at how uncomfortable her former Professor suddenly sounded. "For now you are in my bedroom at Fred's and George's flat." He looked at her horrified and Hermione hurried to continue. "Don't worry. I only just took the frame out of my bag to let you know it is finished. And I wanted to discuss with you possible places to put the frame up because we are quite at a loss here. I am sure you don't want to be any more in this flat than we want you to be here. No offense."  
He smiled darkly. "None taken."   
Hermione released a relieved sigh. Then she started to explain their considered spots for the portrait and the problems they were having with each of them. Snape agreed with her grudgingly. "I see your reasoning." he admitted and finally lowered himself gracefully into the wing chair she had commissioned to be painted within the picture. There he steepled his hands under his chin. "Well, if there is no other place I suppose you could put me up in my lab at Spinner's end. It's in the basement of the house. I actually hate that house, but I guess it will have to do for now."  
Hermione wanted to ask him a million questions at that, but she controlled herself and just said, "As you wish. We can always transfer the picture, if we find a better place. How do we get there?"  
Snape told her the address and explained to her the best spot for apparating into the neighbourhood. But finally, something in his eyes shifted and he said with something like awkwardness: "You might have to modify the wards to let the Weasleys in."  
Hermione paused. "Pardon?" She didn't understand but Snape's expression told her that he hadn't expected her to. And so he clarified: "The wards… at first you will be the only one allowed to enter. You need to go inside and modify them to let your husbands in."  
She blinked at him confusedly. "But… why? Why can I get in and they… don't?"  
He gritted his crooked teeth at that and took a long-suffering breath before explaining with an almost pained expression: "I might have left you the place in my will."  
Hermione just stared and it was the second time that day she was absolutely speechless. It seemed to be a new thing for her.  
"Don't get your hopes up, Hermione. The house is a shit hole. I never put much effort into it, as I honestly couldn't stand the place."  
Hermione nodded mutely and still gaped at him like a fish. "I still don't understand, Professor," she finally admitted helplessly. "You… you couldn't even stand me. Why would you name me in your will? And why didn't I know until now?"  
He took a deep breath and then looked directly into her eyes. "I never hated you. Let's say I wasn't the most patient of men and you could grate on my nerves… a bit."  
She snorted and at that a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Let's just say you remind me of an old friend of mine. She was also a muggleborn." Again, his expression changed and suddenly her Professor looked almost sad. "As I don't have any heir and there was no one else…" he paused and seemed be at a loss for words for a moment. Hermione shifted on the bed uncomfortably. "I always prepared for this war to get … ugly, even more ugly than it was back then. I knew that the Dark Lord would mercilessly hunt all muggles and muggleborns as he hates them with a passion."  
She nodded sadly. "He won't leave it at the marriage law, will he?"  
Snape shook his head grimly. "I don't expect him to. Maybe he will leave you alone for a few years, but as soon as he as strengthened his position he will be out for your blood."  
"Then we'll have to end him rather sooner than later," she said gravely. "Or die trying."  
He looked at her with almost sad eyes and for a moment he didn't look like himself at all. "I never expected to come out of this war alive," he confessed. "So I intended my home to be a hide out for you. I didn't leave my will with the ministry, as I didn't want anybody but you to know about it. You will find the document in the drawer of the desk of the larger bedroom at Spinner's End. Take it and don't show it to anybody. As long as you stay in the house, he won't be able to reach or even track you. I designed the wards myself and made sure of it. You wouldn't be able to leave the place with your wand, as they would be able to track you then, but the place is in a muggle neighbourhood and you should be fine for a quick visit to the shops."  
Hermione smiled at him gently. "Thank you, professor. I appreciate it very much."  
And suddenly the scowl was back on his face and he waved her off. "Whatever. Don't interpret it as a grand gesture or something. I simply didn't know what else to do with the place." He looked at her sharply and suddenly he was his usual grumpy self again. "So, back to business I guess. How far have you gotten with studying Occlumency, Hermione?"  
She automatically straightened in front of the frame and got into lecturing mode. And then she told him.


	12. Losing it

"Well, no wonder the guy was always a grumpy bastard." Fred muttered after finishing his inspection of the ground floors of Snape's old home Spinner's End. Snape hadn't exaggerated. The place was a mess. The rooms were dirty, the rugs full of stenches and several tiles in the kitchen and bathroom were broken and had never been replaced. But the worst was the aura of depression and darkness that lingered inside of the place. It felt like the house hadn't seen happiness in a very long time and now oozed dark feelings from all of its pores. Hermione sighed sadly.  
"I can understand why he said he hated the place." she said and looked through one of the cracked windows into the impoverished and dirty area that was the neighbourhood. "I can't imagine how it was, growing up in that place."  
And she really couldn't. Hermione's parents had always been well-off as they both worked as dentists and were very successful at that. She had grown up in a nice area with lots of parks, playgrounds and nice clean houses as well as old friendly ladies and young children as neighbours. Yes, she had sometimes been lonely as a child, but it was more due to being a bookworm and years ahead of her age than the lack of friendly neighbours. And she was never as miserable as Snape must have been as a child.  
"Why did he leave you that place again?" George said while looking for the door to the basement. He finally found it at the end of a dark and narrow hallway, without a light source, hidden behind an innocent looking wooden door.  
"He didn't say." Hermione lied, because she felt that her Professor wouldn't approve of her repeating his words to the twins. Then she lit her wand with a silent lumos and followed George down the stairway into the basement. It was telling that the basement that was transformed into a professional potion's lab was so much nicer than the rooms upstairs. There was not a grain of dust at the work benches or within the shelves and all the furniture was in impeccable condition. There was even a small sitting area with a bookshelf in one of the corners.   
"Well, now we know where he spent most of the time in this house." Hermione said and inspected the books within the shelf. As Snape has promised her, there were at least four books on Occlumency as well as a thick leather-bound notebook containing his own experiences and notes concerning the topic. She picked them from the shelf and stored them within her expanded handbag before taking the portrait frame out of it and placing it on the wall opposite of the sofa.   
"It's all set up, Professor," she said in front of the empty frame. It didn't take long for him to make an appearance. He looked around the room appreciatively and finally nodded in satisfaction.   
"That will do." he said and studied them with an unreadable expression. "Leave the light on when you leave. Don't worry. The bill will be directly payed from my Gringotts account. The gold in there should be enough for some years of electricity." He smirked. "And now, out with you. I am looking forward to hours of undisturbed solitude."  
Fred and George saluted mockingly while Hermione settled for a respectful nod. They left Professor Snape without another word and Hermione couldn't help but think that this was exactly to his liking. 

++++++++

The next blow for Hermione came two days after. They had just settled for breakfast when an owl rushed through the opened window and brought a copy of the daily prophet with it. Fred and George weren't much of readers, but Hermione had pointed out that it would be important for them to keep track of all the events within the wizarding world. And the twins had agreed and ordered the newspaper for her. Most of the time, Hermione didn't enjoy reading it at all, as the prophet still seemed to be run by Death Eaters and was terribly one-sided in its reports. But she had learned to read between the lines years ago and analysed the newspaper carefully while having breakfast.  
But as she caught sight of the headline this morning, she choked on her coffee and threw the newspaper away, as if it had burned her.  
"What's wrong?" Fred asked worriedly, while George picked up the paper from the floor. He took one look at the front page and cursed, before starting to read the article. Fred leaned over to him and started reading across his shoulder. Hermione on the other hand was just staring blindly into the air as her head kept spinning.  
"Bellatrix Lestrange Appointed as Leading Auror of the Muggleborn Conviction Force", the headline read, and Hermione had enough of an idea what it meant. Finally, the twins seemed to have finished with the article as they put the paper down and looked at her with worried expressions.  
"This is bad." George said darkly and shook his head. "She will be in charge of the hunt for all muggleborns that antagonized the law. She is instructed to hunt them down and is allowed to use all force she deems necessary for a successful capture."  
Hermione's mind was already supplying pictures of crippled muggleborns that were dragged into the ministry by a madly cackling Bellatrix. It was too much for her. Without a word, she leaped from her chair and rushed into the bathroom, where she promptly lost her breakfast into the toilet. But the pictures just kept coming. Suddenly, she was back at the floor of Malfoy Manor and the face of an enraged Bellatrix Lestrange was directly in front of her. "How did you get into the vault?" she heard her hysterical voice as she carved the letters into her arm with the tip of her cursed blade. Hermione screamed in pain.   
"We weren't there, I swear." she cried as her body was flaring with the after-pain of the Cruciatus. "Please…"  
Suddenly, her body was grabbed from behind and strong arms settled around her. She screamed again and tried to pull herself away, but it was of no use. Her opponent was simply too strong.  
"Let me go, please!" she begged Bellatrix again, but the witch simply cackled madly. But then – suddenly – there was another voice calling out for her.  
"Hermione." she heard her name and she immediately stilled. But the voice sounded very far away. Still, she wanted to answer, to call for help, but all that escaped from her lips was a choked sob.  
"Hermione, it's alright. You are safe." the voice ensured her, but that couldn't be true. How could she be safe, when Bellatrix was there torturing her for information she didn't have? She squinted her eyes to look for her potential saviour, only to recognize that Bellatrix was gone, or better, that she hasn't been there at all - because she wasn't at Malfoy Manor but on the cold tiled floor of her bathroom.   
She choked. "Fred? George?" she asked weakly and suddenly the worried face of a redhead appeared in front of her. She couldn't tell which one it was, as her vision was completely blurred with tears.  
"It's alright, love. We're here." a voice from behind murmured into her hair as strong arms rocked her back and forth.  
"You're safe. She won't get you." the redhead in front of her promised before wrapping himself around her from that direction, so that she was sandwiched between the two of them. And Hermione buried herself into his chest, as the tears kept flowing.

++++++++

They kept holding Hermione between the two of them for a long time as her body kept shaking with silent sobs. She threw up twice more until nothing more than bile was left, but soon after went limp in their arms. And George felt her suffering as if it was his own.   
He knew the story, of course, but seeing her like that was still a shock to him. Hermione always seemed strong and almost unbreakable to him, but as she lay on the bathroom floor screaming and begging and looking at them without recognition he realized how close she must have come to breaking. It was a picture that would hunt him in his nightmares.   
Fred carried her into George's bed and finally left for the shop tiredly. They couldn't leave all the work to Lee and Verity after all. But he instructed George to stay with their wife for the whole time and he was only too happy to oblige. He climbed into bed next to her and pulled the covers over them before taking her into his arms. And Hermione didn't struggle as she had before but clung to him desperately.  
"It's alright love, I am here." he murmured over and over into her hair. "I won't let her hurt you." And he wouldn't, ever again. That much he promised her and himself. Hermione was his now, or was he hers? It didn't matter, because in the end it meant the same.   
"She will come after me." Hermione whispered into his chest with a small fearful voice, while her body trembled in his arms. George knew it was true. Bellatrix Lestrange was mad to the core, but she was also a hunter. And Hermione was the prey that had managed to escape her once already. Bellatrix wouldn't just let that go and would use everything on her disposal to get a hold on his wife again. And then she'd finish what she had started.   
"I know." he said solemnly and kissed her forehead. "But this time you won't be alone. Fred and I will both be at your side. We will rip her to pieces limb by limb, before we let her put a finger on you." And George meant it.

++++++++

Fred was busy at the shop, but he still used the twin bond to check on Hermione and George regularly. She seemed to be doing better after a while, and around noon both of them finally pulled out of the bed. They still stayed in the flat and Fred was fine with that. Hermione had almost worked herself into exhaustion during the last weeks as she produced joke supplies for them endlessly and trained with Flitwick three times a week for two hours before dinner. In the evenings, she immersed herself in her studies of Occlumency and there never seemed a time when the woman just slowed down. And Fred didn't know how she managed. It was no wonder she had finally broken down. They would have to take better care of their witch, Fred thought, or there wouldn't be anything left to her spirit when she finally made it out alive of the other end of that godforsaken war.   
As soon as the shop was closed, Fred rushed back upstairs where he found his two favourite people propped up together on the sofa. Hermione was still reading one of those dusty old Occlumency books, but she looked more relaxed than she had in weeks.   
"You're back." Hermione said as soon as he stepped into the room. She put the book down with a smile, got up and walked towards him before gently putting her arms around him. For a moment, he was completely stunned by this, for her, totally unusual behaviour, but then he hugged her back with a smile.   
"Hello love." he murmured and brushed his lips gently across her forehead. "Do you feel better now?"  
She nodded before hugging him again. "Yeah, I feel much better now. I don't know what got into me this morning. I think the news just caught me on the wrong foot."  
Fred smiled and cupped her face with his right hand. "It's alright. Everybody has some weak moments, even you. But don't worry. George and I will always be here to catch you." She nodded and leaned into his hand.  
"I know." she said with a gentle smile and then pulled away from him. Then she looked at both of the twins and grinned. "What do you think about chips and popcorn for dinner? I don't feel much like cooking and I'd much rather have a cosy evening on the sofa."  
At that, his face spread into a wide grin. "We should mark the day on the calendar, Georgie. Hermione is having snacks for dinner. I think the world is ending."  
George grinned back at him. "Nope. But I think we have finally corrupted her." Hermione snorted. And then they all broke out in hysterical laughter.

++++++++

Against his better judgement, they let Hermione go to sleep on her own. She had stubbornly assured them that she was fine, and Fred had finally caved in. But in a corner of his heart he felt that they should be there with her.   
He was proven right when he was pulled from his sleep by a feeling of urgency and he instantly knew that she needed him. And before he could think about it twice, he was out of his bed with wand in hand and rushed into her room. George was there just a second later.  
They found her crumpled on the floor, shaking and sobbing. Again, she didn't recognize them at first and kept on mumbling incoherently, but at least she didn't struggle as he picked her up and put her back into bed. He exchanged a quick look with his twin, who answered him with a determined nod, and they climbed into her bed from both sides and curled around her protectively. It must have been the right decision, because even though Hermione seemed to be fast asleep, her body relaxed immediately.   
"Should have done that right from the beginning." Fred mumbled as he felt his body relax at the beloved smell of her hair. Gods, she felt good!  
"Absolutely." George agreed and cuddled closer. "We shouldn't let her sleep alone for at least some time, I think. And I don't want to leave her anyway."  
"Same here." Fred agreed and felt himself drift back to sleep. "We'll just need to make the bed a bit bigger and not leave her any say in the matter."  
George hummed something in reply. But Fred mused he was already half asleep. And so was he.

++++++++

Hermione woke up in a cocoon of warmth. She felt great and well rested, even though she could remember having a dreadful nightmare in the middle of the night. Having Bellatrix Lestrange at her heels affected her more than she wanted to admit, but she was determined to not let it drag her down. There was only one way for her to go now and that was forward. If she would have to face the crazy Black sister sooner or later, than she better made damn sure that she'd be able to take her down. Because she would never be helpless against the crazy witch again – this much she swore to herself. But to make this happen, her duelling lessons might not be enough. The little Professor was more of a tournament duellist and still fought with fairness and restrained himself to morally acceptable spells. Bellatrix, on the other hand, would fight dirty, that much Hermione was sure of. But luckily for her, there was one person on her side that might know the witch's fighting style and could give Hermione some useful advice.   
A warm body shifted next to her and pulled Hermione from her thoughts. She opened her eyes confusedly and as she looked around, she didn't find one but two Weasleys in her bed. George to her left just seemed to have woken up, whereas Fred continued to snore quietly on her other side.   
"You alright, love?" her husband asked her with concern in his voice, as he studied her intensely.  
"What are you doing here?" she whispered almost almost to quietly to be heard but George must have understood her anyway. He looked at her with a strange expression on his face.  
"I was woken up by the strangest feeling. Dunno how to describe it but it was like you've been calling me."  
"Well, I haven't." Hermione replied with conviction and shook her head decidedly.   
"Maybe not directly or orally, no. I think it was more of a subconscious thing. I didn't hear anything per se, it was more of a feeling." He shook his head helplessly. "I know it sounds totally barmy, but Fred felt the same. It was even strong enough to wake the both of us."  
Hermione looked at him with a stunned expression. "I've never heard of something like that before." she admitted and started gnawing on her lip subconsciously.   
"Neither have I." George confessed but he didn't seem the slightest bit worried. "But I don't think it's a bad thing, on the contrary. I am quite relieved that you can somehow call me, if you are in destress."   
She smiled shyly. "Well, but I don't want you to lose any sleep because of me. It's actually kind of embarrassing to wake you up, just because I have nightmares."  
The smile was immediately wiped from his face and what remained was a totally serious expression. He took her by the shoulder and bored his brown eyes into hers. "Listen to me Hermione," he started, and she detected something like urgency in his voice. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I climbed into Fred's bed regularly to seek comfort and still do sometimes. After losing my ear I camped with him for almost a month. Seeking comfort from people you trust is not a bad thing or a weakness. And neither of us will think any less of you for wanting to be close to us."  
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her and Hermione melted into his embrace. From behind her she heard a displeased groan and a moment later Fred snuggled close to her from behind before mumbling something incoherent into her hair. George chuckled.  
"See? Fred actually seems to like your bed. I didn't know he was that much of a cuddler though."  
Hermione smiled. "You'd be surprised."


	13. Shared pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, be prepared for a bit of angst in the next chapters. Don't worry, it will be nothing to explicit, but people are getting hurt. If that triggers you, don't read this.   
> This will also be a two-chapter-update. I don't want to leave you with a cliff hanger.

Hermione had accepted their new sleeping arrangements astonishingly well and Fred was pleased about it more than he admitted out loud. It actually took them surprisingly little time to convince her at all and after a slightly awkward discussion at breakfast, they transfigured George's bed into a large bed that almost took up the whole space inside his room. Fred's bed was vanished from his room afterwards and replaced by George's desk and the other stuff that didn't fit into George’s room any longer. Hermione's room remained untouched for the moment as they wanted her to have a place she could retreat to if things were getting too much for her. But she took the transition in stride.  
The most awkward parts of their new arrangement were Sunday and Monday evenings. One of them would distract himself in the living room or in the shower – but as soon as things calmed down in the bedroom, he would crawl into bed with them as if nothing happened. Hermione had needed some time to adjust to that new development. The first time he crawled into bed with them … afterwards … she just stared at him with wide eyes and burning cheeks. He could tell she was deeply embarrassed and speechless, but he just grinned at her carelessly and pulled her naked body close. George had nodded towards him unconcernedly and Fred couldn't help but feel giddy with happiness. It was another step into the right direction within their marriage. And it made him hopeful that things would work out for them somehow in the end.  
Hermione started working back at the shop only two days after the unsettling article was released in the prophet. She almost seemed back to normal, but Fred could tell that she was even busier than before. She had asked him for a reusable portkey into Spinner's End that morning, after waking up with the two of them for the first time and Fred couldn't deny, that is was the safest option for her to get to the place alone. Fred had to admit that he wasn't terribly keen on spending part of his mornings or evenings with the portrait of a grumpy potions Professor that hated his guts. And he could tell George was feeling the same.   
Still, Hermione seemed more at ease and relaxed than he had seen her in a long time. She started to hold herself with confidence and radiated an amount of magical power that he hadn't recognized in her before. But on top of that, she seemed so well rested and carefree to the extent of pulling jokes that it was totally dazzling him – in a good way. But if he was honest with himself, he was feeling giddy with happiness, too.   
"Let's have pizza today." George exclaimed with a grin after closing up the shop on a particularly successful day. They had just finished their first monthly anniversary after reopening the shop and he was very much in the mood for a little celebration. And as it was Friday already, there was no reason against a long and relaxing evening on the couch.   
"Sounds like a fantastic idea." he groaned excitedly, and his belly rumbled with anticipation. "I just know the place." he said and strode towards the door to Diagon Alley. "You prepare the table. I'll be back with pizza in a second." And with that, he stormed out of the shop and pulled his wand ready for apparition. He should have realized that something was wrong immediately because the area around the shop was strangely empty. He didn't see his mistake until a flicker of red registered in the corner of his eye. But before he could react, the stunner had already hit him in the chest, and he was knocked out cold. He didn't feel it when his body slammed into the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Neither did he hear the cackling laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange before she yanked his unconscious body into an apparition. 

++++++++ 

Fred knew he was in big trouble as soon as his mind drifted back into consciousness. The sounds around him seemed wrong and foreign, and he still remembered the feeling of imminent danger before sinking into darkness. If that wasn't a bad enough sign, he also realized, that his body was sprawled on the floor with his arms and legs spread from his body and stuck to the ground. Merlin, this was bad!  
"Well, well, I see the prince has finally awoken from his slumber." An almost too recognizable voice taunted him and the curvy, dark-clad figure of none other than Bellatrix Lestrange moved into his field of vision. She could have been a beautiful woman with her big eyes, white skin and curly, ebony-black hair, but the touch of madness was hard to miss on her and it blurred all her features into something… ugly.   
"I hope you didn't kiss me to wake me up." he said humorlessly but cursed himself as soon as the words had left his mouth. Taunting her wouldn't do him any good, even though it might not matter much in the end.   
Bellatrix laughed at him mockingly. "What do you take me for? A paedophile?" she shook her head, while her eyes kept staring at him dangerously. "Besides you reek of mud. But that was to be expected as you willingly threw yourself in the arms of that scum."   
Fred could feel his temper rise, but he tried to temper it down as it wouldn't do him any good to provoke her any more than he already had. And so he just looked at her stoically. This only seemed to agitate her further and she looked at him with something that almost resembled disappointment.  
"Hm, they said you had a sharp tongue. Well, I think they might have been wrong as I find this encounter more and more boring…" At that, she stepped closer and her eyes looked at his almost predatory. "Well, let's loosen your tongue up a bit as I'm sure your screams will be quite delicious."  
His heart started to beat frantically at that, but he tried to not let his panic show on his face. Fred wouldn't give her the satisfaction of screaming. He'd rather bite off his tongue before giving her that satisfaction. He smiled at her darkly.  
"Well, let's get this over with, shall we? I always wanted to meet my dead uncles. I heard they were kind of fun to be around."  
But she just started to laugh mockingly at him. "You think I am going to kill you? No sweetie, we'll have so much more fun together than that. You see, I still have a purpose for you."  
He snorted humorlessly. "Yeah, right. You should really get yourself a hobby, you know? What about knitting? You don't seem like a Quidditch person to me…"  
With that, something in her eyes shifted and suddenly madness was all that was left to her face. Then his eyes caught a metallic glint from one of her hands and as he looked closer, he could see a wicked looking dagger appearing there. It couldn't be the same one she used on Hermione as that one was buried inside of Dobby's body as they escaped from her clutches the last time. But he didn't doubt that this one was equally sharp and nasty.   
"Maybe I should just cut out your tongue and send it to her." she mused to herself, but Fred immediately understood what she was planning to do. She wanted to lure out Hermione and for the first time in his life, his wife was the last person he wanted to see in this world.   
"It won't work, you know?" he said as casually as possible. "She won't come. Hermione is not stupid after all, you know?"  
But Bellatrix just shrugged her shoulders at that and replied totally unconcerned, "Well, let's see about that, shall we? She is a Gryffindor after all and those tend to be surprisingly stupid." The dagger glinted dangerously, and he ground his teeth together to stop himself from screaming. Bellatrix smiled at him as if she knew what he was doing and didn't have a care in the world. "Well, let's see," she said slowly. "I think an ear will do for now." With that, her dagger leaped towards him with the precision of an attacking snake. And Fred's world was swallowed by pain. He didn't scream.

++++++++

The keys fell from George's hands right as he tried to unlock their front door. They had just climbed up the stairs to their flat when his world suddenly shifted, and he had the unmistakable feeling that something was seriously wrong.  
"Fred!" he gasped and almost lost his footing, but Hermione had rushed towards him and held him up.  
"George! What's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone and looked up at him with huge brown eyes.   
"It's Fred. Something is wrong. I can't feel him any longer." he gasped and summoned the keys to the flat frantically. He tried to ram them into the lock but his violently shaking hands were of no use. Hermione took them from him gently after watching him for a second, before unlocking the door with deathly calm.   
"Do you know where he is?" she asked him and took out her wand from her sleeve. He shook his head frantically.   
"No, not at the moment. He must have lost consciousness or something like that. That would be the only explanation for not being able to feel him through the bond. That or…"  
"He's not dead George," she said immediately, and he desperately wanted to believe her.  
"He mustn't die Hermione." he urged her. "It would kill me, too, well, or at least part of me." And it was true. He was not sure if he could ever recover from losing his twin. Most of the magical twins he had heard about had died almost at the same time and he didn't think it was a coincidence. George looked at his wife with wide panicked eyes but there was a calmness in them that he hadn't expected. She looked almost eerie.   
"We will get him back," she swore to him, and he knew she meant it. Hermione was a fighter and she would do anything in her power to keep that promise. Suddenly, George's world shifted again as Fred's end of the bond flickered back to life again. He took a relieved gasp. But then feelings of helplessness and desperation were seeping through as well as a clear message. And George's knees went weak under him.  
"It's Bellatrix." he gasped with a panicked voice. "She's got him."  
Hermione blinked once but her face shifted into an expressionless mask. "Alright," she said and gripped his arm. "Do you know where he is? Can you take us to him?"  
He nodded. "I can always find him, wherever he is," he said but then he shook his head sadly at her. "But you can't come with me Hermione. It's a trap. And I think you know it."  
Something in her gaze shifted and suddenly her eyes went hard. "It doesn't matter. I…"  
But he couldn't hear her any longer as pain suddenly exploded in his head and he screamed in pain. "Fred…" he panted as tears sprung into his eyes. "She's torturing him."  
"We need to go, now." Hermione said, deathly calm, and pulled him up. "George please, there is no time to lose."   
He nodded. She was right. There was no saying how long he would be able to stay conscious through this pain. "Alright. Hold on tight." he ordered. George didn't wait for an answer. He just followed the bond and a moment later they were gone.

++++++++

Hermione took in the scene before her with a calculating gaze. Snape had taught her quite thoroughly during the last weeks and she had quickly learned to lock her feelings deep inside of her and not let them touch her. He hadn't been able to cast any spells at her, of course, as he was just an echo of his former self preserved inside of a painting. But he had used the next best thing at his disposal and used years of knowledge on her to taunt her mercilessly. He had done it over and over and his cruel words had hurt more than his spells ever could. She had learned the lesson the hard way, but finally she managed the feat and buried the vulnerable part of her mind inside an unbreakable box. Just like that, his words hadn't been able to touch her any longer. As his next taunting remark came, Hermione just smiled politely at him and thanked him calmly for his insight. And his eyes had glowed with pride.   
Hermione was making use of that skill now and so her heart was beating calmly in her chest as she took in her surroundings. It was bad, that much was obvious. Fred's body was sprawled out on the floor and a growing puddle of fresh blood was surrounding him. Bellatrix was crouched above of him and she was humming something like a lullaby. It was worlds beyond creepy.  
George gasped next to her and took the scene in with wide eyes full of terror. She couldn't blame him. But the noise had alerted their enemy of their arrival and before Hermione could cast her first spell, strong anti-apparation-wards snapped in place around them. So much for the element of surprise, she thought grumpily.  
"Well, you've come even faster than I deemed possible." Bellatrix spoke and her voice sounded almost delighted. "I guess I could have saved myself the effort then." Hermione saw the witch throw something in front of them on the floor and a detached part of her brain registered that it was an ear.  
"You sick bitch, you'll pay for that," George swore next to her but Hermione could tell that he was in no condition to fight. He could barely stay upright on his legs and his body shifted dangerously on his feet.  
"You shouldn't have touched him." Hermione said and her voice stayed deathly calm at that. "I never took you for stupid Bella," she continued and took a measured step towards the witch using her nickname deliberately, "but it seems I was wrong."  
George followed her close behind, but Hermione unobtrusively took hold of his hand and held him back. "Do you trust me?" she murmured silently towards him while keeping her gaze fixed on her enemy.   
"With my life." her husband confirmed, and she squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Good, because I want you to get Fred and go to Professor McGonagall. Don't come back."  
He looked at her for a long moment and he must have seen something that finally convinced him. "Alright." he said and straightened. Then he stepped next to her with his wand in his left hand. She saw something glinting in his other one but before she could contemplate what it was, he had thrown the thing skillfully towards his twin. "Catch!" he shouted and just as the item connected with the limp body on the floor, both of them were gone.   
Bellatrix eyes went wide. "What have you done? Where did they go?" her voice screamed shrilly at her and Hermione smiled a dangerous smile.  
"Oh Bella, you should have never touched what is mine." she said with a voice that would have made Snape proud. There was nothing holding her back now, as she didn't have to pay attention to anyone else other than her enemy in front of her. And without another word she leaped into action.

++++++++

Fred was barely conscious when they landed within McGonagall's study with a dull thud and a groan. McGonagall wasn't in the room, but the wards must have alerted her of their presence as she rushed through the door just a moment later.   
"Fred, George." she exclaimed with a gasp and sunk to her knees on the floor next to them with a grace quite startling for her age. She took the scene in with an experienced eye that spoke of years living through a war, and without saying anything to them she was back at her feet and casting a patronus.   
"Poppy, please come to the manor at once." she said in a clipped tone. "I am in dire need of your skills." The silvery cat zoomed through the wall and was gone. Seconds ticked by slowly as George painfully gasped for breath and blood was painting the white carpet beneath them red. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds though until Madam Pomphrey appeared next to them with her hand tightly clasped in the tiny hand of a Hogwarts house elf. George looked at her with wide pleading eyes as she analysed the situation with years of experience.  
"Alright Minerva." she said as she took out her wand and silently cast the first spell. "I think you have a lot of explaining to do."


	14. Don't ask

He and Fred were quickly moved into a small bedroom upstairs, and even if there was nothing physically wrong with George, he felt like shit. His head was throbbing terribly, and he had problems staying awake and conscious the whole time. But as Madame Pomfrey began treating his twin in the bed next to him, he felt like life was slowly coming back to him. And George was so relieved that he started to cry because he could feel that Fred was getting better too. Gods, he had come so close to losing him!   
None of the four persons spoke a word for a long time, but finally Madam Pomfrey slipped her wand back into her robe and looked towards him and Minerva. The other witch quickly conjured a white curtain around Fred's bed and cast a privacy charm around them, before sitting down to a comfy looking chair next to his bed. The nurse did the same and George pulled himself into a sitting position with a groan.  
"I think it's time for you to tell us, what exactly happened to the two of you," Minerva said with her lips pressed into a thin line. The other witch nodded in agreement.   
"Fred was abducted right in front of our shop." he said weakly. "He… Bellatrix Lestrange took him. He must have been unconscious at first, because I couldn't tell where he was."  
Minerva sighed sadly and nodded. "And later you could?"  
George nodded. "We are magical twins. As soon as he regained consciousness I could apparate to him."  
"How did you escape?" his former professor asked and looked at him with a calculating gaze. George closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
"Hermione. She went with me and…"  
"Where is she?" Minerva interrupted him urgently. "Is she…?"  
She could not finish the sentence, but George knew what she was about to say. And his stomach lurched at the realization that he didn't know. "I… don't know," he admitted painfully and stared into his lap. "She… sent us away."  
He could hear a choked sob which must have come from Madame Pomfrey and he closed his eyes in shame. He had promised to Hermione that he wouldn't ever let her face the woman of her nightmares alone. But George had broken that promise today and, even though she had personally asked him to leave, he wasn't sure if he would ever forgive himself.   
"I don't need to tell you, that it doesn't look good for Hermione." Minerva explained with a forced calmness while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Bellatrix Lestrange is one of the most skilled duellists I know of, but she is especially dangerous because she is ruthless and there is no spell she wouldn't use. This woman might have killed more people than even the Dark Lord himself…" she said and looked at him sadly. "We can only hope that she didn't aim to kill your wife, because I am sure that even I wouldn't stand a chance in a duel against her."  
George gulped and closed his eyes in pain as he realized what the Professor was trying to tell him. "Hermione doesn't stand a chance, does she?" he asked, but his voice was barely more than a whisper.   
Minerva looked at him for a long moment but finally shook her head sadly. "Hermione is an accomplished witch," she started "and Filius has assured me that she made great progress in duelling him. But…"  
He nodded in understanding and the realization almost broke him. "I need to find her." he said and tried to pull himself out of bed, but Madame Pomphrey held him back firmly with her hand.   
"Oh no, you don't." she said and looked at him with firm eyes. "You are in no shape to even leave this bed, let alone…"  
Minerva nodded and got up from her chair. "Do you have any idea where your wife is?" she asked and pulled up her sleeves. But George paused and gasped as he realized that he didn't.  
"It was something like a warehouse…" he began and tried to remember any details, but the sad truth was that the last hour was kind of a blur to him. He shook his head helplessly before closing his eyes in shame.   
He heard his Professor take a deep breath as she turned around and marched to the door. "Very well, I'll see what I ca…"  
But she couldn't finish the sentence because suddenly there was a nervous looking house elf in front of her. "Mistress must come to the office immediately." the little creature squeaked while looking at her with eyes that were wide in terror. "I is sorry to interrupt but there is another visitor…"  
Minerva cut him off, with a sharp nod. "Poppy," she said urgently but the other witch was already rushing towards her. She held her hand out towards the elf.  
"Take us there at once." Minerva said in a clipped tone. The little creature took hold of their hands without question, and within the blink of an eye they were gone. And George started praying.

++++++++

Hermione was brought into the room barely five minutes later, but for George it felt like it had been an eternity. Poppy levitated her unconscious body in front of her with a grave expression and as George took in the paleness of Hermione's skin, he assumed the worst. She looked like a ghost and the dark brown robes that she had worn throughout the day hung down from her body in tatters. In some places they even seemed badly singed and, now that George was aware of it, he could also detect the strong smell of smoke on her body. He looked at Minerva with wide eyes.   
"Is she…?" he couldn't finish the sentence. Both women looked at him and shook their heads silently. "Thank god." he gasped and sunk back into his pillow bonelessly. There he lay for several breathless moments and stared at the ceiling while Minerva and Poppy manoeuvred Hermione into the bed next to Fred. He heard the nurse cast several spells and murmur quietly with the Professor, but George couldn't make out any words. He was too dizzy with relief and his ears kept buzzing like there was a nest of bees inside.   
Finally, the two witches seemed finished with their treatment of Hermione and turned to leave the room. But he could see in their faces that something was really worrying them.   
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked them desperately, but they just shook their heads at him.   
"We'll talk to you when she wakes up. Just try to get some rest for now." the nurse said and turned to the door without another word. George sighed. Resting was easier said then done. 

++++++++

For the first time in days, Hermione awoke alone in bed. It was a strange feeling, almost unnatural, which was strange because she had slept alone for such a very long time. But somehow Fred and George had wormed their way in, and it somehow just felt like they belonged there now. She sighed.  
"You're awake." she heard George's voice say with a strange undertone. His voice sounded sad and as she opened her eyes she could see that his eyes were red and swollen. She gasped.  
"George? What's wrong? Is Fred alright?" His smile was like a grimace.  
"Fred is okay, considering the circumstances. He's already up again discussing who knows what with Minerva." George sounded almost angry which confused her even more.   
"What do you mean 'considering the circumstances'? Just tell me, George." she pleaded, and he sighed tiredly.   
"He lost an ear." he answered and suddenly she remembered. She had seen it as Bellatrix had thrown it in front of her feet.   
"The blade was cursed, wasn't it? Otherwise Madam Pomfrey would have been able to regrow it."  
He nodded darkly.  
"I'm so sorry George." she said and searched for his eyes pleadingly, but he averted her gaze.  
"Stop it, Hermione." he said and suddenly he leaped from his chair and started pacing in front of her bed. She looked at him in bewilderment.   
"Stop what? George, please… just what aren't you telling me?"  
He started laughing but it was a humourless laugh that she had never heard from him and it was quite frankly scaring her. "What am I not telling you? What aren't you telling me?"  
She blinked and stared at him completely puzzled. "I…." But she didn't know what to say. Hermione just stared at him open-mouthed as he stalked through the room like a caged tiger. After several minutes, he finally paused in front of her bed and stared at her with tired eyes.   
"How did you escape Hermione?" he asked her with forced calmness.   
"I didn't." she replied and looked him straight into the eyes. He furrowed his brows in confusion.  
"Of course you did, Hermione. You're here after all." he stated and waved his hands around the room.  
Hermione took a deep breath, before she continued. "I didn't escape, George. I duelled her. Running away was never my intention."  
At that, something within him snapped and he leaped towards her and took her roughly by the shoulders. "But sending me away was? Hermione, you could have died, or worse been tortured until nothing of your spirit and mind was left."  
She swallowed thickly. "I know," she confessed. "But I had no other choice."  
He reared back and looked at her with wide eyes. "You had no choice? No choice? That's complete bullshit and you know it Hermione."  
Hermione gaped at him, but he just continued. "You could have let me stay with you or even better, you could have just come with us."  
This time, it was her turn to utter a humourless laugh. "And then what? Let her hunt us again? Let her take more from us the next time? Because she would never have left us alone." She breathed heavily. "This is a war, George, and quite frankly, I am done hiding and taking the hits."  
His body went completely still and his arms fell limply down at his sides. "Hermione? What have you done? Where is she?" he asked her carefully while studying her with an unreadable expression.   
"I'm not telling." she replied calmly and tried to avert his gaze. But he turned her head back towards him after taking hold of her chin with his right hand.   
"Hermione?" Suddenly his voice was dangerously calm, but his face was full of emotions. "Tell me."  
Hermione tried to pull away and closed her eyes so that she needn't see his face when she continued. "What do you want to hear George? That I killed her in cold blood? That I burned her dead body to a crisp?" There was no answer. "No? Good. Because then you can simply stop asking for things you really don't want to know."   
She opened her eyes and when she looked at him, she had to repress a sob. His eyes were wide in terror while the rest of his face seemed strangely detached. "I'll go and check on Fred." he finally said and leaped from his chair before she could even say something in return.   
"Sure." she relied with a calmness that she was not feeling at all. And a moment later he was gone. 

++++++++

Fred was hiding out in the garden when George came to find him. He didn't hide out per se, as he had no problem with his twin finding him, but he hadn't been able to hold out in this stuffy old castle with its brooding inhabitants a second longer. After coming so close to death, or at least torture, he just needed to feel the sun on his skin and breathe the fresh air because some hours ago he was almost sure he wouldn't do that ever again. It was the second time in only weeks that he had almost died, because no matter what that crazy bitch had intended to do, it had been a close call. That much he had been told by a serious looking McGonagall. He was lucky having only lost an ear, they said, and Fred agreed whole-heartily. He couldn't care less about the missing appendage when things could have been so much worse for him – no, them. Because, of course, George and Hermione hadn't just stayed away and had come for him.   
Fred didn't know much of what had happened, but his brother seemed agitated beyond measure. His mind seemed to be in total chaos and even if Fred had tried, he wouldn't have been able to catch even one of his thoughts. But the feelings of shame, anger and confusion seeped through the bond as clear as day. And Fred didn't know what to make of it. What happened to them after he lost consciousness? He could vaguely remember Hermione and his twin arriving in that damned industrial hall, but he wasn't even sure how they had gotten away. But as nobody wanted to tell him anything, he was left guessing. And it was driving him mad.   
"You look like you could use some fresh air." Fred said after George had literally stormed towards him and thrown himself at the wooden bench next to him.   
"Not sure if it'll do me any good. But I needed out." his twin replied with a troubled voice.   
Fred sighed. "Will you tell me what happened George? What's got you so troubled? Because I can assure you: I am okay."  
George looked at him for a long moment before gently touching the side of his head, where his ear had been. "Yeah, I know." he finally admitted before letting his hand fall back down into his lap. "It's Hermione. She… came with me when I came after you."  
Fred nodded. That much he had already known. "Yeah, but she's okay, too, isn't she? I talked to Madame Pomphrey briefly and she said it was mostly magical exhaustion that knocked her out."  
At that, George pulled a face. "I left her, Fred. When we arrived at the place I … I wasn't well. Must have been the bond… I… she…" George was fumbling for words which had never happened before between the two of them. "Hermione told me to get you away from that place and at that moment I believed it was for the best to do as she asked. 'M not even sure if I could have cast a spell and so I… I used one of the portkeys."  
Fred nodded in understanding. "You're blaming yourself." he said, and George nodded in defeat. And so Fred continued, "Why are you blaming yourself? You said yourself that you were in no shape to fight."  
"I should have stayed anyway."  
"You'd have gotten in the way." Fred said and he felt selfish for it. "Think about it, George. Bellatrix would have used your condition mercilessly to her advantage. What do you think Hermione would have done?"  
George's face fell in understanding. "She'd have tried to protect me."  
"…and not have fought back, exactly." Fred finished for him. "How long do you think she could have done that?"  
George let out a defeated breath. "You're probably right." he admitted.   
"Course I'm right." he said and grinned at him. But George's expression remained sorrowful.   
"I think Hermione killed her." he finally said and sought out his eyes. "She kind of admitted it."  
Fred hummed thoughtfully. "I'd have killed her too if I'd stood a chance. And if you are honest with yourself you would have, too. Think about it. What if it had been Hermione in my place? We would have ripped her to shreds."  
George nodded defeatedly. "But she shouldn't have to do this."  
"No," Fred agreed. "But she shouldn't feel the need to defend her actions towards us either."   
"No, she shouldn't." George agreed and suddenly he was back on his feet again. "I need to go back and talk to her." he said, and Fred nodded at him encouragingly.   
"Yeah, but I'll come with you. She'll need the both of us if what you suspect is true."   
Fred was on his feet just a moment later. And together they went inside to find their witch.

++++++++

They found Hermione in the same spot where George had left her. She had propped herself up against a pillow and watched them with a careful expression when they entered the room. George couldn't fault her for her wariness as they hadn't exactly parted on the most comfortable terms. He had more or less fled the room and he could only guess what Hermione's conclusions on that would be.   
"Hello Mione," Fred greeted her with a wide unconcerned smile and was at her side in an instant. "Feeling better?"  
She smiled weakly at him. "Quite. I'm still a bit tired though."  
Fred shrugged. "That's to be expected. From what I gathered by listening in on Madame Pomfrey you seem to suffer a quite severe case of magical exhaustion. Did you speak with her already?"   
Hermione shook her head at that. "No, but I think she'll be here any minute."  
And Hermione was right. Just as soon as George had decided to sit down on a chair next to his twin, the witch in question entered the room in company of their former transfiguration Professor. Both women looked stern, but the warmth in their eyes was not lost on George either.   
"You all seem to have recovered quite well." the medi-witch said in a pleased tone and positioned herself on the end of Hermione's bed. "As Minerva has just informed me of the circumstances that led to your… condition, I must say that you all have been quite lucky. Except for the quite severe drain of energy there were only minor scrapes and burns. Which is quite remarkable considering the circumstances."   
George didn't say anything at that and neither did the others. "If things progress accordingly, you'll all be able to return home in the evening. But there is a matter I would like to discuss with you beforehand."  
Hermione seemed to tense at that, and her expression shifted to one of wariness. "Of course."  
"I checked the three of you over thoroughly and apart from Fred's missing ear there will not be any lasting reminders of your encounter."  
"Thank Merlin." George said with a relieved exhalation, while Fred grinned at him boyishly and said, "Let's see if mum can still tell us apart now. Now that we kind of look alike again…"   
George snorted even though it was true. Of course Fred would find humour in the situation. His mum would throw a fit when she found out about their latest encounter with the crazy Black sister, but Fred would use the situation and play their old role-exchange-game. And George was actually looking forward to it.   
Minerva got his attention when she cleared her throat nervously. "Be that as it may, but there is another matter of urgency we'd like to discuss with you." At that her eyes turned to Hermione and she looked at her with an almost motherly smile. "The health check that Poppy performed on you Hermione suggests that you'll have to lay low for the foreseeable future."  
At that, Hermione's expression shifted to one of puzzlement. "I assure you that I feel quite alright." she said and to George's bewilderment the Professor's mouth turned to a gentle smile.   
"I wouldn't expect you not to. I am not talking about you being injured my dear. You are 8 weeks along though."  
Hermione stared at Minerva with wide eyes, but George had problems contemplating what the witch had been saying. But then it hit him like a Bludger.  
"Hermione's pregnant." he whispered, shocked, and Fred must have come to the conclusion at the same time. They stared at each other for a long, panicked moment before nodding to each other. Considering their family's birth-history it wasn't such surprising news after all. But Hermione seemed to be in total shock, as she just stared wide-eyed at the two older witches.  
Madam Pomfrey nodded with a serious expression. "She is indeed. Luckily there is no cause for concern as the little ones seem to be quite well and totally unaffected by you wife's recent… activities."  
He heard Hermione gasp and as he looked up, she looked white as a sheet. Just then he registered what the medi-witch had said. She had spoken in plural, not just… "Twins?" he wheezed as realization hit him.  
"Magical twins." Minerva confirmed and slowly stepped towards Hermione. She put her hand encouragingly on her shoulder before continuing in a motherly tone, "It will be alright my dear. I am sure Molly will have multitudes of helpful advice and if you don't overtax yourself in the next months…"   
She couldn't finish as Hermione's head snapped and she looked at her with firm determination. "No." she said and stared at them stubbornly. The older witch closed her eyes for a moment and sucked in a tired breath. But George stared at his wife in bewilderment.  
"No?" he asked and before he could think about it, he was on his feet. "What do you mean, no?"  
Hermione looked at him with fire in her gaze. "I will not bring any children into a world that is ruled by a megalomaniac racist and will be out for their mother's blood." she said and looked at him with a raised chin.   
He gasped. "You don't mean to tell me that…" His eyes widened in horror. "Hermione, please…"  
"I am telling you, that I will not stand by idly or lay low as long as this evil bastard is controlling our fate." she stated. "As things stand you will need me to end this nightmare and if you don't want me to fight with a baby bump I say we'd better hurry up."  
He didn't know what to say as his feelings were in total disarray. But the others didn't seem to fare much better as none of them uttered a word. Yes, he could see her reasoning but… "You'd endanger the life of our children by entering a fight…" he pointed out and saw his twin nod mutely at his words. But this seemed to agitate Hermione even further.  
"Their life is already in danger. And it will be as long as we don't end this nightmare. What do you think will happen when the ministry hears of the pregnancy, if he hears? I don't expect them sending flowers. Because I can assure you Bellatrix would never have dared to try trapping me against her master's wishes."  
His head was spinning as he tried to contemplate their situation. But as his agitation slowly died down, one thought remained clear in his head. "I don't want you to fight." he finally said. "I'm sorry. But I can't let you endanger your and the little ones' lives. I just can't…"  
He saw her look around in the room from one person to the other, and all of them were nodding grimly at his words.   
Seeing that she took a long breath. "Well, too bad." she said and leaped from the bed before he even contemplated what she was doing. "Because I will not ask you for permission." And with that, she stormed off. 

+++++++++

To say Hermione was agitated would be a vast understatement. There were so many feelings rushing through her now and she kept feeling them all at the same time. She still didn't know how she felt about the duel with Bellatrix and if she was honest with herself, she wished she could feel nothing about it at all. But of course, this was a hopeless wish, and she knew that one day she'd have to deal with what she had done. But not today.  
She'd been totally unprepared for George's inquiries or his disappointment about sending him away from the fight. Seeing the look in his eyes when he left her after their last discussion had been like a slap into the face. As if that hadn't been enough already, there was even more unsettling news to follow. Of course, she had considered the possibility of getting pregnant. That's what the stupid law was for after all and Hermione was no idiot. But being faced with the reality of it and the fact that she was carrying magical twins was a shock. Being asked to step down and hide in consequence of being impregnated was only the last blow. It was all too much for her and she needed out. The walls of the small castle were giving her the feeling of being trapped and she almost couldn't breathe… Hermione needed air, immediately. And she didn't want to have to talk to anybody for a while. She needed to think, to sort things out, because she would have to make a decision soon.   
Without another thought, she stormed through the main gate of the building. The sky outside was clouded and it looked like it was about to rain soon. But Hermione didn't care and flew out of the door and down the little hill on which McGonagall manor had been placed. Her lungs were burning after only a minute as she wasn't used to the exercise, but her mind was already starting to clear. She kept on running until she had reached the end of the slope where she finally collapsed on her knees and hands and tried to regain her breath. She was gasping for air, when the first raindrops hit her on the back. Maybe she should head back, she thought, but that would mean that she would have to confront the twins and she simply didn't feel ready for that. Still, she pulled herself up in a standing position and clasped her burning sides. Maybe Spinner's End would be an option for now. But before she could even finish that thought, she suddenly felt a presence right behind her. She tried to grab her wand, but it was too late. A hand clamped over her mouth from behind, while another one was holding her wand arm in a firm grip. And before she could even make an attempt to react, she was pulled into an apparation. 

++++++++

"Well, this could have gone better." Fred said wearily after Hermione had pulled the door shut behind her with an air of finality.   
George sighed next to him and looked toward the two older witches in the room. "I totally messed this up, didn't I?" he asked, and McGonagall looked at him with an understanding expression.   
"Well, maybe a less direct approach might have worked better. But there is no use in fretting over spilled milk."  
Fred nodded and asked, "Should we go after her?"  
George shrugged helplessly, whereas his transfiguration professor hummed thoughtfully. "I don't think that would be helpful at the moment, no," she finally said and looked at them with something like pity. "Hermione is a very strong-willed woman and I think she'll need some time to calm down before she will be receptive to alternative ideas."  
Fred nodded. "We should let her calm down and find her later. I must confess I'll need some time myself to wrap my head around the thought of…"  
"Yeah, me too." George agreed before he was able to finish the sentence. "Merlin, can you imagine being a father?"  
Fred laughed helplessly. "To magical twins? If they are anything like us…"  
George groaned. "Merlin help us."  
They just had finished laughing when a house-elf suddenly appeared in front of them, wringing his hands nervously. "I is sorry to interrupt but… young Miss…"  
Minerva was alert in an instant. "What's the matter Kirly? Is she alright?"  
At that, the elf looked at her with huge, helpless eyes. "I is not knowing, ma'am. Young Miss just disappeared from the grounds and…"  
"She is gone?" George shouted and was on his feet instantly. "Do you know where she went?"  
The elf's eyes seemed to go even wider with fear. "No sir. I is sorry, sir."  
Fred looked at his twin helplessly. "Where could she have gone?"  
George shook his head in demise. "Dunno. But we need to find out, and soon. Merlin, I hope she is alright."  
Fred sighed. So did he.


	15. Gone

Hermione realized that she had been an idiot, as soon as she had felt the hand dragging her away into an apparation. She should have learned from Fred's kidnapping that leaving the wards was dangerous these days. But she'd done it anyway. Stupid! But she'd be damned if she didn't at least try to fight back. Luckily, she was used to side-along apparation by now. The year on the run and her time with an apparation-obsessed Fred had taught her well. So there was no trace of dizziness in her when they finally arrived, and she used the moment after landing to rip herself away from her kidnapper. Automatically, she stumbled backwards, but she went for her wand anyway. A strong shield snapped into place around her just a moment later, but the attack on her never came.  
Hermione spun around with a fluent motion, looking for her attacker with her wand raised. But what she found made her freeze in shock. It couldn't be.   
"Hello Hermione." she heard his voice saying but she just kept staring. Finally, she found her wits again and asked in a cautious voice:  
"What project did I secretly work on in my second year at Hogwarts?" she asked and scanned his face for a reaction.  
"You were brewing Polyjuice and managed to turn yourself into a cat." The reply came promptly, and Hermione's heart jumped.   
"Harry?" she asked disbelievingly and stared at him with wide eyes. He nodded and sent her a wide grin.  
"I would hug you, but you'll have to enable the shield first." he said, and Hermione released a mixture of a sob and a laugh before she flung herself into his arms.   
"Oh Harry," she sobbed before burying her head into his chest. "I thought you were dead." she sniffed but the tears kept coming. There had been this small flicker of hope in her right after the battle, because his body just seemed to have disappeared and nobody seemed to have seen anything. But as the weeks trickled by without a sign of him, she had given up on him.   
Harry held her reassuringly and murmured into her hair. "I'm sorry Hermione. I would have met you sooner, but you are really hard to get to." She looked at him confused and saw him smile sheepishly. And then she understood.  
"The wards," she confirmed and nodded. "I really haven't left them, since…" She gasped. Then she looked around in alarm and realized that they were outside… in a cave. "Where are we?"   
Harry smiled at her nervously. "It's the cave were Sirius hid during our fourth year," he started explaining. "I didn't really know where to go, as Grimmauld place might still be under observation und our camping equipment was lost to me. But don't worry. I warded it very thoroughly. The time with you has taught me a thing or two."  
"Oh god, Harry. I'm so sorry. Are you alright? Do you need anything?" she asked him, her eyes full of concern. But as far as she could see, he didn't seem undernourished or hurt and she sighed in relief.   
He hugged her gently in return. "It wasn't too bad." he admitted and finally pulled back from her to motion towards the back of the cave. Hermione gasped in surprise when she saw two beds against the wall, and on one of them was sitting none other than Neville Longbottom. Her friend grinned at her nervously.   
"Hello Hermione." he greeted as he slowly got to his feet. His clothes were dirty and were badly in need of a patch up, but otherwise he looked fine.   
"Neville?" she asked disbelievingly and looked back and forth between her two friends. "Okay, I think you've got a lot of explaining to do."  
Harry nodded happily and moved to the back of the cave where a small camping fire was lit. He guided her to a foldable camping chair before sitting down between her and Neville. And then the boys started explaining.

++++++++

Severus Snape was in a bad mood. As if it wasn't enough to have been trapped as a damn portrait, his only source of information seemed to have abandoned him now, too. Yes, there were also those tattling old fools in the Headmaster's office, but Severus didn't have patience for them when he still was alive and could leave their presence anytime. And it surely hadn't gotten better by being trapped next to them for weeks, before the girl – no woman - and her husbands had found him. He was still thanking his lucky stars for that.  
Hermione didn't only give him a place to escape to, she had also started visiting him once a day in the morning and sometimes also in the evening. Often her visits were brief, but she always took her time to tell him the news or read him one or two articles from the Prophet. Two times she had even indulged him in a discussion about potions, and even though she couldn't match his knowledge on the topic, she most certainly tried. It was odd, because it was almost like having a friend. And Severus Snape hadn't had a friend in a very long time.   
Then of course, there were their training sessions. Teaching her occlumency was almost too easy; the girl was a natural and there wasn't a lazy bone in her body. She always came prepared and followed his instructions to the bone and Severus was sure that she wouldn't need him much longer for that. Teaching her duelling was much more difficult. Fighting was something that didn't come naturally to her and it wouldn't have been a bad thing if they hadn't been in the middle of a war. It didn't help that he couldn't actually duel her, as his confines simply wouldn't allow it. So he made do with teaching her some useful spells, mental discipline and some effective ways to distract the opponent. But he had also known that it wouldn't have been enough should Bellatrix ever decide to come after her as she expected. And so they had also explored a different path. Snape told her everything he knew about the crazy witch: ways to taunt her, weaknesses, but also every twisted and cruel thing he knew the woman had done. Because it was important for Hermione to not only have the skills, but also the heart, to battle her enemy to death. She needed to be without doubt or restraint if she wanted to survive this fight. And Snape thought that he had her prepared quite well as her eyes looked at him more and more determined and she seemed more and more confident with every meeting. But when Hermione hadn't shown up this morning at her usual time, he started to get worried and when noon had come, he was almost sure that something must have happened to her. And he was quite surprised to find that he cared.   
It was almost afternoon when the door to the basement finally banged open, but instead of Hermione, her two husbands waltzed into the room. They were looking through the room quite worriedly and their faces fell even further as they didn't seem to find what they were looking for.   
"She's not here." one of them said in a worried tone and was about to leave again, when Snape decided to remind them of his presence by a not very subtle clearing of his throat. They stiffened for a moment before turning around to him at the same time.   
"Right." the other redhead mumbled and stepped closer. "Good day to you Professor. You haven't by any chance seen Hermione?"  
Severus raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. "Not since yesterday, no. I was kind of wondering why she didn't visit me today."  
Now both of them were in front of him and shuffled their feet nervously. It was enough to make him suspicious. "Okay, out with it. What's been going on?" he asked them in an unnerved tone. The twins looked at each other for a moment, gulped, but finally they shrugged. And then they told him.

++++++++

Hermione looked at her two friends with her mouth open. It was almost too much for her to take in.   
"Yeah, and when I finally woke up, the battle was over. Well I didn't really wake up, but when I finally left this strange version of Kings Cross and the scary Horcrux-baby I was more like flying outside of my body. The battle just seemed to be over. Neville was taken down and the rest of you…" Harry broke off and looked at her sadly.  
Hermione sniffed. "We thought you were dead. I was totally paralyzed, and I couldn't…"  
Harry pulled her into a hug. "It's alright. I don't blame you. Considering the prophecy there isn't much you could have done anyway."  
She nodded mutely and as she didn't say anything her best friend continued, "For a moment I floated over the scene and thought to return to my body there. But what good would it have done me? They would just have killed me again. And so I decided to… well float away and suddenly my body seemed to dissolve and it followed me here."  
That was strange. She had never heard about such a thing. But in a world of magic, there was not much that wasn't possible after all. And so she just went with it. "Maybe your body was kind of dead in the meantime. I can't imagine that Hagrid wouldn't have noticed if you'd still been alive."  
Harry nodded. "That's what I thought, too. Well anyway, that's not all. Soon after I … awoke here, Fawkes showed up."  
"Fawkes?" Hermione asked in astonishment.   
Harry nodded. "He's been helping me… a lot. How do you think I got into the ministry? Fawkes can do this neat little trick where he vanishes with you and kind of apparates you to another place."   
Hermione gasped. "That's how Dumbledore escaped from Umbridge and the Ministry, isn't it?"  
Harry nodded grinningly. "It's really cool. You can get almost everywhere and to everybody. It's also how I found you, by the way."  
"You mean he can find people like an owl? Well, but then you could have gotten to me, Harry. Hell, you could get into the ministry."  
Obviously, she had caught him in his little lie, because his cheeks turned red immediately. "Well," he cleared his throat "I really didn't want to interrupt something and quite frankly: I am not sure who to trust any longer."  
Hermione stiffened.  
"I don't mean you, or Neville or Ron. I know I can trust you. But who knows who else would be in the flat, when I just appeared there."  
She nodded in understanding. "So, what do you plan on doing now?"  
At that, Harry and Neville seemed very uncomfortable all of a sudden and Harry cleared his throat nervously. "Well, we hoped you could help us with that. You were always the brains of our trio and Neville and I aren't really on top of things right now."  
Neville nodded seriously and Hermione smiled at them. Finally, there was something she could do. "Well, first of all you really can't stay here. Even if it's still summer and you got hold of beds… How did you even get them?"  
Harry grinned. "Kreacher helped. We would have starved without him."  
"Of course," she snorted before continuing her original sentence. "Anyway, you can't stay here. If you really want to do this, then we can't have you withering away in a cave. We need you at your prime. And fortunately, I just know the place for you."

++++++++

The longer George and his brother talked, the grumpier Snape's portrait seemed to get. And that was really saying something, as he hadn't been in a good mood to begin with. After they finished their encounter of Fred's abduction and rescue, he looked at them with small piercing eyes. And George wasn't sure if he had ever been this intimidated by the man.   
"Let me get this straight," the former Headmaster said with a permanent sneer on his face. "You left the security of your wards alone, even though you knew that Bellatrix Lestrange might be after your wife. Then said wife rescued your arse after sending the two of you away to get yourself patched up and now you get your knickers in a twist because she might have killed this mad excuse of a human being to finally get rid of the threat she is to her and all other muggleborns. Did I get this right?"  
George gulped. "Well… if you put it like that…"   
The Professor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there something I have missed?"  
Fred winced. "Well, there is more. She… she is pregnant - with magical twins nonetheless. And we don't want her to fight any longer. It's dangerous for her and the kids, you know?"  
The portrait of the potion pProfessor looked at them and George wasn't sure if he was about to laugh or shout at them. "I never took you two for morons. But I might have to reconsider that. So let me repeat this to you: Hermione rescued your sorry arses because you wouldn't even have been able to lift your little finger on Bellatrix and to thank her for that you do what? You forbid her to fight any longer? I don't know how to break this to you, but who else will pick up after her? Because quite frankly… she's the best chance you have to get out of this war alive. Of course you could ask McGonagall and Flitwick to take on the Dark Lord, or maybe Kingsley will do the deed. But those three are not muggleborn and you are neither. None of you can completely grasp the situation she is in. Would you really see this through no matter what you have to do and how hard it is? No matter what it might cost you? Who else is there determined enough to put himself in front of the Dark Lord, the ministry and all his pet Death Eaters? Because as it looks you are quite outnumbered here."  
George stomach turned at the realization. "But… she can't! I won't let her do this!"  
"So that's what you told her, yes? You won't let her? Seriously?" And the Potion's Master laughed at them. "Well, good luck with getting her back, because I seriously won't help you with that. And now get out of my sight."  
George looked at his twin, but Fred shrugged helplessly at him. They left Snape without another word and returned to their flat. Because they had no idea where Hermione would have gone. Hell, she had managed to hide herself and her two best friends from the Death Eaters for several months. So how in Merlin's name should they ever find her if she didn't want to be found? But time was running out on them. Tomorrow was already Sunday and the ministry was just waiting for them to step out of line…

++++++++

"What is this place?" Harry asked Hermione after she pulled them through the door of Spinner's End. The house was still shabby, but she had taken the time to repair everything that was broken and cleaned out most of the rooms. There was no time or money at the moment to buy anything new, but the house was definitely habitable now.   
"It's Snape's old house. He left it to me. Don't ask, it's a long story," she explained, and the boys accepted her answer with a raised brow and a shrug. She smiled thankfully at them because she really wasn't in the mood for explanations today. "If you really must know, you can ask him himself. There's a portrait of him in the basement."  
The boys looked at her in astonishment. "You got him a portrait?" Harry asked as if he couldn't believe her. "Why?"  
"He agreed to teach me occlumency and I couldn't just visit him in the Headmaster's office now, could I? I'm sure Lucius Malfoy would have been thrilled."  
"Malfoy is Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Neville gaped at her and Hermione smiled sadly.   
"Oh boys, you really missed a lot. Let me make us some tea and then we'll go downstairs and see Snape. I'm sure he's missed me already and I have also some news he might be interested in."  
The boys looked at each other uncomfortably but finally nodded in agreement. Hermione smiled. "And you might as well come to friendly terms with your new flat mate."  
Hermione was right. Snape seemed to have been waiting for her. His head whipped around in their direction as soon as they entered the room. But if he was surprised at seeing Harry and Neville, his face didn't give him away. But well, he was a spy when he was still alive.   
"Hermione," he greeted her with a nod. "Your husbands were just here, looking for you. You must have missed each other by mere minutes."  
She couldn't help but stiffen at those words. She didn't want to talk to the twins right now. It was bad enough that the ministry would force them to … interact … tomorrow. From what she was feeling at the moment she didn't even want to see them, let alone… No, she wouldn't think about that now. "Well, too bad…" she said without conviction and Snape's eyes flashed knowingly. "…because I really don't want to see them at the moment."  
Harry raised his brows questioningly. "What happened? Do you want to talk about it?"  
She thought about it and first she wanted to decline. But finally, she admitted that it wouldn't be a bad idea, to talk to her friends and ask for their opinion. And so Hermione gestured towards the sofa, took a deep breath and started explaining. 

++++++++ 

"Wow, that's quite a lot to take in." Harry said and pulled at his hair. Neville looked at her with kind eyes and after a moment of hesitation he pulled her into a tight embrace.   
"Thank you Hermione for ending her." he said solemnly before fixing her gaze with his. "I'm forever in your debt. She… well… you know about my parents."  
Hermione nodded understandingly. "You don't owe me anything. But I am happy you understand and don't judge."  
"Hermione, you are a good person. And I don't have a shred of doubt, that it was necessary what you did. So don't be too hard on yourself." Harry supplied helpfully and Hermione couldn't help the tears that sprang into her eyes. "Thank you Harry."   
In the background they heard Snape's portrait snort. "That might have been the first sensible thing that the two of you said in my presence. I'd be tempted to give you points, but I fear that I am no longer entitled to do so."   
Hermione smiled weakly at her Professor. "Thank you for your help, Professor Snape. I couldn't have done it without you," she confessed, and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I still intend to continue our training sessions no matter what my husbands think," she continued, and he looked from her to the other two and seemed to study their reaction to her intention.  
"That it good to hear. There is lots of stuff you can practise safely and if I don't misjudge the situation you might even have found yourself some willing training partners."  
She looked up to Neville and Harry in consideration. "Would you do it? Or do you also think I should rather… step back?"  
Harry looked at her with his green eyes full of friendship. "I won't tell you what to do, Hermione. You are an intelligent woman and I am sure, you won't take unnecessary risks. I will always support you as you always have supported me. Of course I'll train with you. And I'll be at your side, whenever the time comes."  
Neville nodded at his words. "We'll be with you. No matter if it's just training or if we have to face him in person. You can count on me."  
Hermione looked at them with a watery smile. "Thank you boys. You don't know how much that means to me," she said and pulled them in a hug. And Professor Snape didn't scowl or make a snide remark about it once.


	16. Don't run away

Hermione decided to spend the night at Spinner's End. She felt slightly guilty about it because she knew the twins would be worried about her, but she simply couldn't face them yet. First, she needed to come to terms with the new situation herself because at the moment the fact that she was pregnant felt totally surreal to her. How could she not have known? Being eight weeks along meant that she would have missed her bleedings two times. But there definitely had been some blood, she was sure of it, maybe not as much but… Had there been any other symptoms? Tiredness? Yes, she had been tired, but she had also been working a lot. Sickness? Well, she had been sick when she'd heard about Bellatrix' promotion, but that was quite understandable, wasn't it? But otherwise? No, there was nothing that could have tipped her of. Was that normal? Or was it because she was carrying magical twins? Or had she simply been too distracted to notice something was amiss? She didn't know and not knowing was a thing she couldn't stand. She'd have to get a book on magical twins as soon as possible. Yes, a book would do just fine.  
"Hermione? Are you still down there?" she heard Harry call to her from upstairs. He and Neville had gone grocery-shopping earlier and as it was a muggle area and they didn't want to be tracked, they had left their wands behind with her. Hermione was happy to stay behind and had settled herself on the sofa, where she had been deep in thought. "Dinner's ready." Harry called again and she propped herself up with a groan. Snape was still in his frame, but he had retreated to his wingchair with a book on advanced alchemy. He hadn't disturbed her thoughts once.  
"I'm coming," she replied before stretching her limbs lazily. And a moment later she was on her way upstairs.  
It was a happy evening between the three of them. Hermione filled her friends in on some of the joke products she and the twins had developed for the shop and Harry and Neville explained in detail how they had managed the break-out from the ministry. And Hermione couldn't help but think that getting the Horcrux from Umbridge would have been much easier with Fawkes's help.  
Later, Hermione retreated back to the sofa and left the two bedrooms of the house to Neville and Harry. She had briefly considered sharing a room with Harry but decided that it might not be proper for a married woman and so she wished them a good night and went back to the basement. Snape was no longer in his frame and Hermione transfigured the sofa into a bed and her clothes into soft pajamas before putting herself to rest. She really hoped it wouldn't be a sleepless night for her as her thoughts refused to slow down. But she needn't have worried. Her magic was welcoming the chance to restore itself and not even her busy thoughts could prevent her from falling asleep.

++++++++

Fred and George had settled into their bed together after it was clear that Hermione would not come back to them that night. They had checked with McGonagall again and after that with Professor Flitwick, their mum, and Bill. After they had checked the Room of Requirement they had given up for the day. Merlin, how could things have gone so wrong within a matter of hours? Fred hated the idea of not knowing where Hermione was, but even more, he hated fighting with her. He wanted to pull her close, thank her for rescuing him – again – and then never let go of her. But before he could do any of that he had to find her first.   
After hours of talking and scheming, he had finally fallen into a restless sleep. Even then he couldn't shake the feeling that his witch needed him – no them. After waking up with a gasp and finding George wide awake next to him he simply couldn't take it any longer. Hermione needed them, wanted them even though she might not even know it herself. And suddenly Fred knew exactly where she was.  
"She's at Spinner's End." he murmured toward his brother. "Probably having a nightmare again."  
George nodded determinedly. He was already up searching for his robe. "Let's go and get her."  
A minute later, they were off. It was the middle of the night, but Fred didn't care. They ported directly into the basement, which was completely dark, but Fred was sure that his wife was here. He lit his wand with a silent Lumos and there she was, in a transfigured bed where she was thrashing around wildly in her sleep.   
"Hermione." his twin gasped next to him and was at her side a moment later and Fred followed close behind.   
"I've been wondering how long it would take you, two morons, to come back." he heard Snape's dark voice from the portrait, but Fred just ignored him. But the Potion's Master wouldn't shut up. "I'd be almost inclined to send you back, but it's quite obvious, that she needs you."  
George nodded and looked at him questioningly. "Should we wake her?" he whispered but Fred just shook his head.  
"Her body is still recovering from the magical drain." he mused and looked at Snape for confirmation.   
"She won't wake up," he agreed. "at least not in the next hours."  
Fred sighed. "We can't take her with us, as long as she's asleep. Too risky." His twin nodded.   
"Well, only one way to go then," George said and with a flick of his wand, a black curtain closed in front of Snape's portrait. He heard the man snort within the picture frame and Fred could have sworn he was murmuring something like, "As if I'd like to watch…" But he didn't care as he just yearned for his wife. With a last look towards his brother they climbed into bed with her from both sides. It was a tight fit, but they didn't care. Because Fred couldn't get close enough to Hermione at the moment.

++++++++  
"Hermione? Are you up?" Harry's voice shouted down the stairs and Hermione awoke with a gasp.   
"Mhm…" she hummed in acknowledgment but doubted that her friend would even be able to hear the answer. But it didn't matter. She was simply too comfortable here in bed and so she cuddled closer to the warm body next to her. It only took her a moment to realize her error and she pulled away with a gasp. Because her bed wasn't at all empty like it was before she went to sleep, but occupied by two redheads that studied her with a puzzled expression.  
"Hermione? Who's upstairs?" George asked carefully from behind and Hermione took a deep breath before answering:  
"You better go and see for yourself. I'm not sure how…" But Fred was already out of bed and rushed up the stairs with a wand in hand. Hermione forced herself to take calm breaths and waited but time seemed to flow ever so slowly at the moment. "Merlin's saggy underpants…" came Fred's voice down the stairs a moment later. He stumbled back into the room with wide eyes and looked to his twin in agitation. "George, you need to go and see this for yourself…" he gasped and gestured upstairs. And without waiting for an answer from any of them, he was gone again.   
George sighed behind her. "I hope it's as important as it sounds," he said to her and turned her around to him. "I'd much rather talk with you, Hermione. Because I think we really should have a discussion."  
Hermione nodded seriously. "Yeah, we should. But I also don't know what to say to you at the moment, George." With that, she pulled herself out of bed and padded to the door. She didn't bother transfiguring her pajamas back or turning to see his reaction. It felt as if she was fleeing the room. Probably because that was exactly the thing she was doing. 

++++++++  
It was a long breakfast full of explanations from all of the boys. Harry and Neville filled them in on everything that they had already told Hermione the day before, but Hermione didn't mind. She simply hid herself behind a cup of tea and watched the twin's reactions as subtly as possible. But as Neville kept stealing worried glances towards her, she surmised that she wasn't really that subtle at all.  
"I'll head back to the flat," she said after quickly finishing her breakfast. As the boys were still deep in discussion, she hoped for some more moments of solitude in her room before she was forced to have the discussion that George hinted at before.   
"I'll come with you," George exclaimed and was on his feet in an instant. Hermione sighed inwardly. Obviously, there was no escaping him today. Not even for a few minutes.   
"Alright." she agreed calmly and waved to the others. "Harry, Neville, Fred, see you soon." She promised and turned towards the hallway. But before she had even reached the door, George had caught her hand and looked at her with firm eyes. "I'm not letting you rush off on your own again." he murmured and linked his arm with hers. And with the plop of an apparation they were gone. 

++++++++  
George landed them in the middle of the hallway of their flat, as he wasn't sure which room would be the best to have this discussion. And so he'd decided to leave the choice to Hermione who was standing nervously at his side. He hadn't seen her that nervous and uncomfortable since their wedding and the realisation hit him like a blow in the stomach. They had come such a long way together just to have this rift between them now. George didn't even understand why. All he wanted was to protect his witch and their children. Why couldn't she see that?  
"Hermione, look at me," he said after it was clear that she didn't want to move anywhere. She was just standing next to him and staring at the floor. Now she at least lifted her eyes to him, but her expression was tired. George didn't know what to say to her or even how to start this conversation and so he finally did the first thing that came to his mind: he pulled her into a desperate hug. At first her body stiffened against him, but after several heartbeats, she finally relaxed into him. And so he allowed himself to simply enjoy the contact with her.  
"I've missed you." he finally murmured into her hair and breathed in her scent. She still smelled somewhat like smoke but there was also jasmine and vanilla and her own scent hidden somewhere below. "Oh god Hermione, I was so afraid to have lost you." he admitted and pulled her even closer. "I was so terrified and I felt like I'd abandoned you and that's the last thing I want to do. Hermione, I want to be at your side or have your back but I can't do that if you won't let me…"  
She sniffed and nodded into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, so sorry George. But I didn't know how else to protect you and Fred."  
"I know," he admitted sadly, before wiping the tears from her face with his thumbs. "And I am thankful Hermione, really. We'd be both dead without your help. I just feel like I should have been the one protecting you…"  
She smiled weakly at him. "But you are protecting me, George - both of you. What do you think would have happened to me, if you hadn't taken me in and married me? If you hadn't given me the possibility to learn occlumency or taking dueling lessons from Flitwick? You are protecting me every day and I am thankful, too, you know?"  
George looked at her and smiled. "Maybe we should just agree, that we are protecting each other then." he proposed and searched for her eyes. She looked back at him, but there was still so much uneasiness in her gaze. He sighed. "Hermione, I know you are not happy with me at the moment. But I simply can't lose you, not ever. So please, don't ever run away from me again and please… be careful. Can you promise me at least that much?"  
She nodded thoughtfully. "I promise."  
George sighed in relief. "Thank you." He pulled her close again and this time she melted into his arms without hesitation. He had no illusions that this discussion was already over because there was still much they had to talk about. But he would tread carefully now and maybe with time they would come to some sort of understanding.


	17. Building bridges

Fred was back in the flat about half an hour later and found Hermione with a book on the sofa, while George was busying himself in the kitchen. The two of them seemed to have come to some sort of understanding as he couldn't detect any awkwardness between them. And that was a good sign.   
"What do you two think about a family dinner at the Burrow?" he said nonchalantly after throwing himself next to her on the sofa. She raised her brows questioningly at him and he continued, "Well, I can imagine that there is at least a person I recently met, that would be thrilled to meet back with the Weasley family." He winked and suddenly her face lit up.   
"You think they would come?" his wife asked hopefully, and he grinned at her in return.   
"Actually I'm pretty sure of it. The two of them seemed thrilled when I suggested it to them. Well? What do you say?"  
George nodded towards him with a smile, whereas Hermione squealed in delight. "Oh, that's brilliant, Fred. When can we go?"  
Fred chuckled in delight. "What about today?" he proposed and a few moments later, all was set up. And he was pretty pleased with himself. Hermione might take the chance to talk to his mum and seek some advice. If not, the evening would hopefully at least lift all of their moods. And that was something they could all desperately use.   
They brought Harry and Neville to their flat with one of their portkeys but decided that they would take the floo to the Burrow. Hermione fidgeted next to him, she looked even more nervous than Harry himself.  
"Calm down, Mione." he murmured to her and squeezed her hand.   
She nodded weakly. "Don't worry about me. And now go." She nodded towards the fireplace where George had just disappeared. "I'm right behind them." He sent her an affectionate grin, before taking a pinch of floo powder from the mantle and throwing it into the fire. And a moment later he was gone.  
The madness started as soon as his mum looked at him and sighted the missing ear. "Fred!" she shouted with wide eyes and pulled him into her arms. "What happened to you? How did you…"  
He shook his head towards her. "Wait for the others mum. There are some … visitors today and it's best if we only have to tell the story once." She nodded with her eyes full of worry, just as the fire roared again and Neville stepped into the living room. A collective gasp went through the room, but Fred just smiled knowingly towards his twin. And here we go, he said through the bond and George nodded towards him. Their eyes trailed towards the fire and just a second later Harry stepped onto their carpet. And the room erupted in chaos.

++++++++

When Hermione entered the Weasley's living room as the last person of their party nobody even seemed to notice her. A crowd of five had gathered around Harry, who was currently hugged by a sobbing Ginny and Ron, who looked like he had seen a ghost. Fred and George stood some steps away from the group and seemed to have pulled Neville into a conversation and for a moment Hermione was not sure what to do. And so she simply waited in front of the fireplace for the chaos to die down. It took a while, but Hermione didn't mind at all. It had been a long time since she had seen everybody that happy and Hermione enjoyed it as long as it lasted.   
"Hello Hermione." her thoughts were suddenly interrupted and as she turned around, she saw Percy standing next to her.  
"Hi Percy, it's nice to see you here."   
He sent her a slightly forced smile. "I'm trying to be at family dinners as often as possible now, as I have missed quite a lot of them during the last years."  
She nodded because she understood him completely. If she ever got the chance to bring her parents back from Australia, then she'd visit them as often as possible, too. "Yeah, I can imagine. Is it… I mean, they have forgiven you, haven't they?"  
He nodded with a serious expression. "Yeah, they have. Everyone seems to be happy to welcome me back into the family and I am really glad. But in moments like these…" he gestured towards the happy reunion in the middle in the room, "I feel like I have missed a lot or like I am not really a part of this any longer."  
Hermione sighed. "You know it's not true, Percy. Even if you missed out on several months with them, you are here now and you'll be in the future. That is what counts. You were even at my wedding…" She grinned at him conspiratorially.   
"Yeah, you're right. How are things between the three of you, by the way? George and Fred seem… happy." Percy tried carefully.  
She sighed again. "Things are going alright I guess. But we've had some rough days lately and we are all still a bit shaken, I guess."  
Percy hummed in acknowledgment. "I've noticed Fred's missing ear, yeah. Was it Bellatrix?"  
Hermione stared at him in surprise. "How do you… did they say something?"  
He shook his head with a smirk. "Even if some members of my family can be kind of oblivious, I could always count one and one together, you know? Bellatrix gets promoted to a hunter of muggleborns and goes missing shortly after. At the same time my brother, who is married to a muggleborn witch, shows up with a missing ear and the hero of the wizarding world, who was supposed to be dead. It kind of fits, you know?  
Hermione hummed. "Harry didn't have anything to do with that, actually. We found him the day afterwards."  
"Whatever. I can imagine that it's not easy for any of you. But you seem to be good for each other. So, if I can give you some advice Hermione… don't make the same mistakes I've made with my family. Whatever happens, try to stick together and don't turn your back on them. I only realized my mistake, when it was almost too late."  
She nodded thoughtfully. "That is good advice. Thank you Percy."  
He smiled at her and suddenly he really looked like a Weasley. "Anyway. I believe dinner is ready. Shall we move to the dining room?" Percy gallantly offered her his arm and with a smile she took it. 

++++++++

George couldn't help but watch Hermione for the whole evening. As soon as they moved to the dinner table, he seated himself next to her, but she seemed too distracted to really start a conversation with him. He couldn't fault her, because dinner was an emotional rollercoaster. His mum started asking after Fred's ear again and so they finally decided to fill them in. In no time, dinner seemed forgotten and their mum caught them into a bone-crushing hug while kissing their faces.   
"Oh, my boys…" she sobbed and pulled them even closer. "I could have lost you or… or…" she sobbed again. George looked helplessly towards his brother, but his eyes landed on Hermione who was white as a sheet.  
"It's alright, mum," Fred muttered and patted her back. "It's just an ear and Hermione was there to save the day."  
His mother choked out another sob, before throwing herself at Hermione. "Oh my girl, my precious clever girl…" she said while Hermione seemed more and more uncomfortable.   
"It's alright Molly… I…it was the least I could do. Well… they wouldn't have been in this situation after all, if they hadn't stepped in and married me, right?"  
The room fell instantly silent, as all eyes were instantly on the two women. His mother gasped. "Hermione dear, don't say that. Don't even think that. It's not your fault, do you hear me."  
Almost everybody nodded, but George could see in Hermione's eyes that she wasn't convinced. And he decided that they'd have to talk to Hermione about it, soon.

+++++++

George felt emotionally drained when they finally reached their flat around 11 p.m. They were all ready to simply fall into bed, but there was still the fact that it was Sunday and the ministry would just be waiting for them to make a mistake. He sighed.  
"Hermione?" he said after she had stepped out of the fireplace and walked into the direction of her own bedroom. As soon as she heard him, she stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, looking for strength, and slowly walked behind her. "Love, it's Sunday and… I know it's probably the last thing you want to do right now but…"  
She sighed and sounded very tired. "It's alright, George. I just need a minute to myself but I'll be at your room in just a bit."  
"Alright," he said even if he didn't want her to leave. But she'd be right back, she said, and so he went into their shared bedroom after a last look towards his twin. And for the first time, George wished that it wasn't always him who had to play icebreaker.

++++++++

Hermione thought about Percy's words for the whole evening. Dinner had left her shaken and she had once more realized how close she had come to losing one - or both her twins actually. This thought chilled her to the bone, and she couldn't say why. They were friends, yes and they had protected her from this stupid law. But that wasn't it, there was more and as the evening drew on and emotions ran high, she more and more realized what it was. Was it possible that she had fallen for them – both of them? Well, they were magical twins and Fred had explained they were like the two sides of a coin. So was it possible that she had fallen in love with the whole coin? And if so, what would it mean for the pregnancy she had just come to accept? Should she bow to their wishes and just step back? Could she even do that and just trust that the others were able to end this nightmare alone? Well Neville and Harry were around now, but still…  
Hermione didn't know, but she had to find out – soon. George had already admitted that he didn't want to lose her, and she was almost sure he had wanted to say even more. It wasn't fair for any of them to be held at arms-length out of her fear of her feelings. And it also wasn't fair to lead them on without being totally sure that she loved them.   
After escaping to her room and leaving George behind, she gave herself five minutes to compose herself before going to their shared bedroom. George was already sitting on the bed, waiting for her. Hermione couldn't help but notice how lost he looked, and her heart went out for him. Well, she'd have to be brave for the both of them.   
"Hey." she said shyly and sat herself right next to him on the bed. Alright, she could do this, she told herself, and took his hands slowly into hers.   
"Hey." George replied and looked at her with a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She leaned over just ever so slowly before her lips met his. For a moment, he didn't move at all, but then he sighed and relaxed into the kiss. His lips were soft and gentle and he tasted like honey and chocolate. It felt wonderful, it felt right, and Hermione didn't want their kiss to stop. God, she had missed him during the last days. She had hated not talking to him, being angry at him. And she had come so close to losing him too, to losing them both. And the thought of losing them hurt. Before Hermine realized what she was doing, she had grabbed his shirt and pulled George with her to the bed without breaking the kiss. Her hands sought out the skin under his shirt feverishly and with a heavy, thumping heart. Right then, she knew she had her answer. What she was feeling towards George wasn't just friendship, lust or obligation towards the ministry, it was definitely much more. Hermione loved him. And even if she couldn't tell him just now, she had every intention of showing him tonight.

++++++++

Fred sank deeper into the sofa with a tortured moan, as the pictures coming through the bond kept haunting him. The last times his brother and Hermione shared a bed hadn't been that bad. Maybe it was the separation from her or the fear of losing her, but no, something was different today. Pictures and feelings kept flowing and flowing through the bond. He could see Hermione on top of his brother – or was it him? – her kisses feverishly covering his skin. There was a fire in her eyes, a passion, he hadn't seen there before. And he wanted to be with her so badly that it hurt.   
A groan escaped his lips as the feeling of need washed over him but there would be no release for him today, not with her.   
"Merlin, Hermione," he heard himself groan - or was it George? - as he felt her hand closing around his length and moving ever so slowly. And gods it was killing him to know, to feel but to not feel at the same time. It took all his strength not to bolt from the sofa and storm into their shared bedroom. But it wasn't an option, not right now when they were just finding back together again.   
Another groan escaped his lips and he started thrashing his head from left to right, but the feelings just wouldn't stop. Merlin, was that her tongue he was feeling on him? He gasped. Yes, definitely her tongue. Merlin! Before he even registered it, his hand had crept inside his boxers and closed around himself. It wasn't enough - but it was all he had at the moment. And so he pounded desperately into his fist as he almost heard her moan into his ear, almost felt her hands on his back, her nails on his skin. And as she screamed his name – no, his brother's name – he came with a muffled groan. But it still wasn't enough. His heart was thumping in his chest and his body ached all over with need, even though the flood of pictures and feelings through the bond had finally stopped. Things had calmed down for the other two, but not for him. Gods, he needed her. And he needed her now.   
Without thinking, he had muttered the cleaning spell on himself and a second later he was already on the way to their bedroom. It was insane and she'd probably just push him away scandalized or just throw him out. But he'd be damned if he wouldn't at least try.

++++++++

Just as Hermione rolled down from her lover with a satisfied sigh the door to their bedroom flew open. For a moment she was on high alert before a corner of her brain registered that it was Fred. It wasn't the first time he joined them afterwards but usually he waited until things had calmed down a bit. Well, maybe he was just tired and desperate to get into bed, a voice in her head murmured soothingly, as her heart started hammering in her chest nervously. But no, Fred didn't look tired. His pupils were blown wide and his breath came in small agitated pants, as he studied the two of them with a quick glance.   
"Fred?" she asked confusedly and saw George lifting his head groggily toward his brother, but in his eyes flickered something like understanding before his head gave a single sharp nod into Fred's direction. There must have been an unspoken communication between the two of them, because suddenly Fred leaped towards the bed and she didn't even have time to make room for him, before his lips crashed on hers with a desperate kiss. Hermione froze in shock.  
"Fred, what are you…" she tried after pulling back from him, but his lips muffled the end of her sentence. Just a second later, she felt the well-known chill of a cleaning spell wash over her and as her brain tried to catch what was happening, she felt George escape from the bed behind her. She pulled back from his brother confusedly.   
"George? What's going on? Where are you going?" she asked him confusedly and heard Fred groan in frustration.   
"I…" George started and looked to his brother desperately. "I'll be back in a bit, " he promised quickly and that's when her head finally caught up and she understood. Her eyes took in Fred's disheveled state and the expression on his face told her all she needed to know. The twin bond, she realized, and everything clicked in place.   
"Alright," she agreed, and it seemed they both took it for an answer as she was immediately pulled back into Fred's arms. His mouth was on her a second later and for a moment she was shocked by the raw need that she tasted from him.  
"Merlin I want you," he moaned into her mouth just a second before he turned her on her back and crawled over her. His hands were on her naked hips a second later, steadying her as his hips grinded into her with something like desperation. Yes, he definitely wanted her, this much she could tell.   
"Fred," she groaned into his mouth, before sucking in his bottom lip. "Would you mind removing these clothes?" She looked down at his fully clothed body and started tugging at his shirt. He grinned at her with glowing eyes.  
"I almost feared you'd never ask." he murmured before snatching his wand from his back pocket and waving it lazily through the air. "Better?" he asked as soon as she was feeling his heated his skin on hers.  
"Much." she laughed and a moment later he pulled her close again. Her heart thudded hopefully in her chest as his lips found hers again and his hands started to roam her body with fire and desperation. How could it be possible that her body was shivering again in anticipation and her heart ached for his moans and words of admiration? She desperately wanted him to want her and she wanted him back with a fire she hadn't thought possible for her. But it was definitely there. I love him too, she realized just as his mouth kissed his way down her throat and a moan escaped her lips. I love them both. And just like that she realized that it felt totally right to do so.


	18. Making an effort

George was still in a daze when he woke on Monday morning. Yesterday had been strange – well, that didn't even begin to describe it. After finally finding Hermione last night and waking up in her arms he had to realize that the awkward tension between them was still there. Then they found Harry bloody Potter several weeks after his supposed death, alive, in the kitchen upstairs, and had breakfast with him and Neville, who had escaped a ministry holding cell only weeks before. If that wasn't action enough for the day, they decided on dinner in the Burrow. They should have known what an emotional affair that would be. But at the time, they thought it would be a good idea. It was good, in a way, that news was finally out in the open. Their family knew about Bellatrix's attack and also about Harry's resurrection – if you could even call it that. Everybody had been thrilled of course, especially Ginny and Ron. He hadn't seen these two that happy in months. Ron had already started getting better over the last weeks, but yesterday it had been like the war never happened to him. George honestly didn't know how his little brother did it, but even during dinner when they discussed Bellatrix's attack he seemed totally unflustered by the fact that Hermione had duelled the bitch – eh, witch – on her own. "It turned all right in the end, didn't it?" he had reminded his mum, when she was about to make a bit of a fuss because of Hermione, and grinned at his friend with confidence that spoke of a hell of shared adventures. "Hermione isn't the brightest witch of her age for nothing, mum." And just like that, he put another bit of steak in his mouth and chewed happily.   
Ginny was another case altogether. She had been miserable over the last months, but even worse since the end of the battle. He had rarely seen her after his wedding, as she always seemed to avoid them. It was actually a miracle that she'd been there yesterday at all. But his mum and Bill had written them every now and then, and George had been more and more concerned for his baby sister. Until yesterday. Yesterday, the spirit had returned to his sister who clung to Harry's side for the whole evening and had still been there when he, Hermione and Fred left for their flat. He wouldn't even be surprised if Harry stayed the night with her at the Burrow because even though the two of them had broken up more than a year ago, it was no secret how deeply they felt for each other. And George was pretty sure, that neither of them would leave the side of the other for the foreseeable future. He was happy for his sister, of course, but at the same time he wished such a love for himself. And after last night, he felt that such a love might be waiting in his future with Hermione and his brother. He hadn't thought it possible, but last night he could have sworn that Hermione had tried to tell him something, even though her lips hadn't formed the words. But his heart had understood anyway and called out for her with an urgency that told him everything he needed to know. George loved her, he had for some time now and if he was right, she loved him back.  
"Morning George." he heard her mumble sleepily into his shirt before cuddling even closer to him.   
"Morning love." he greeted back and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well?"  
"Mhm…" she hummed and nuzzled him with her nose. George couldn't help the smile that was breaking out on his face. Whatever it was that Hermione felt for him last night hadn't disappeared in the morning and wasn't just born by his overactive imagination. It was really there, and he felt like she was trying to tell him again just now. And George swore to himself that he would make it work between the three of them.   
"Hermione? I … need to ask you something. And please don't be mad, okay?"  
She nodded, but he saw the wariness that was slowly returning to her eyes.   
"Are you… do you plan on continuing your training with Flitwick?" he asked carefully, but he saw her stiffen anyway. For a moment, she didn't say anything, and there was a haunted look in her eyes that he couldn't place. But a moment later she looked him directly in the eyes and said:  
"Yeah, I'll continue training. Not only with Flitwick put also with Snape twice a week. Harry and Neville are going to join me for these sessions. Look, there's still some stuff I can do safely but I promise you, that I won't do anything dangerous."  
He nodded. He had expected as much. Hermione wasn't anything if not determined. "That's what I expected," he said as calmly and non-threatening as possible. "Do you think it would be possible for me to join in for these sessions?"  
"For us, you mean." his brother corrected from behind her and Hermione turned to Fred surprised.   
"You, you're okay with this?" she asked and looked at the two of them with wide eyes.   
Fred smiled at her. "I admit that we are not that happy with your decision but we can kind of see your point. But we figured that if we want you to be safe, we better make sure we're there to protect you and the little ones."  
George nodded solemnly towards her. "Yeah, and we wondered if you could talk to Snape and convince him to give us some private lessons."  
At that, Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Lessons? On what? Occlumency?"  
He smiled at her crookedly. "Kind of. Fred and I talked and we figured that it might be important for us, to suppress the twin bond during battle. You know, like when one of us gets badly hurt or something. I'm not even sure if he can help us. But he might be the best person to ask."  
Hermione looked at them with a serious expression. "I… I don't know what to say…" she admitted helplessly. "It… you… you don't have any idea how much that means to me." She finally said and he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. Just a moment later, she leapt towards him and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you, thank you so much!" she cried and then let go of him to throw herself at Fred. His twin looked at her with a gentleness in his expression that George had rarely seen on him. It made him smile happily towards the two of them because it gave him hope that things would work out for them in the end. But then he had another thought.   
"I want to talk to mum about the babies though," he said calmly as soon as she had finished hugging his twin. "Yesterday wasn't the right situation to tell her, but I have the feeling that we might need her advice soon enough. Don't you think?"  
At that, she nodded solemnly. "Yeah, you're right of course. It's just that all of this still feels a bit unreal to me. I… I don't actually feel pregnant," she admitted, and he could see her cheeks colour ever so slightly. "Shouldn't I be able to feel something?"  
He shrugged. "Dunno. And that's why we need to talk to her. She's had her share of pregnancies after all."  
"Yeah, but I can't say I'm looking forward to that conversation," she admitted with a crooked smile. "Molly Weasley in expectation of not one but two grandchildren?"  
Fred chuckled weakly behind her. "She'll be unstoppable."  
Hermione groaned. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." 

++++++++

Hermione left for Spinner's End right after breakfast and when she returned to the shop half an hour later, she brought Snape's consent to help them suppress their twin bond. It wasn't something they were keen to do, but experience had taught them that it was quite an important skill for them in battle.  
George and his twin left for Snape's house right after closing their shop in the evening. Hermione promised to wait for them with dinner on the table, as they would without a doubt be famished. And George couldn't wait to be back at their flat with his two favourite people and not in a basement with a scowling portrait of his former professor that obviously hated them.   
They apparated directly to the hallway of the house but decided to make a quick detour through the kitchen to greet the other two inhabitants of the house. Neville was indeed sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of tea in his hand, but Harry was nowhere to be seen.  
"Hey Neville," Fred greeted him chummily. "Where's Harry?"  
Neville shrugged with a grin. "The Burrow I guess. He decided to stay the night."  
"Has he now?" Fred grinned. "Well, good for him. You alright here alone in Snape's house? He wasn't your favourite person after all."   
Neville gave him another shrug. "It's alright I guess. It's not like he'll suddenly storm into the kitchen and throw me out or something. His portrait has actually been quite civil, when Harry and I visited him yesterday afternoon. Getting killed changes a person I guess."  
George snorted. "And being trapped in a portrait frame next to all the former Hogwarts Headmasters might have also made an impression. From what I gathered Snape's now almost permanently here and avoids his other frame like a plague. I don't think it's because of his old mate Lucius."  
Fred snorted. "Poor guy. I almost feel sorry for him."  
"Well, you won't feel sorry for him in a few minutes." George laughed and then explained towards Neville, "We've come to seek him out for a lesson or two."  
At that, Neville grinned and took another sip from his cup, "Well good luck with that. I'll lend you my shoulder for a good cry afterwards."  
The two of them chuckled at the unexpected show of humour from their friend. "We'll see about that. Maybe he's finally discovered a soft spot for us. We could show him some of our joke products downstairs in the potions lab."  
George grinned. "I'm sure that would go over splendidly. Well, maybe we could wait with that, until he gets too annoying."  
Fred grinned. "Deal." and with that and a lopsided grin, they finally left for the basement.   
"I see you've finally come to your senses." Snape greeted them as soon as they had closed the door to the basement behind them. The scowl was, of course, back on his face, but maybe it was also permanently captured there by the painter. It was one of Snape's most distinguishing features after all.  
"Well, good morning to you too, Professor. Isn't it a lovely day outside?" Fred countered with exaggerated cheer and gestured towards the basement's non-existent windows. This only deepened the scowl directed towards them.   
"Better leave your pitiful attempts of sociability to someone who appreciates it. And now come over and take a seat. You've already wasted enough time as it is."  
The twins followed this indirect order with a shrug and seated themselves on the sofa. What followed afterwards were the longest two hours of Fred's life.

++++++++

They stumbled back into their kitchen two hours later, weary and tired. Fred's head was pounding heavily and by the look of it, George didn't feel much better. It was obvious now that Snape would be able to help them with their problem to suppress the twin bond, but lessons with him were as uncomfortable as he expected or even more so. In their Potions classes, they hadn't been his sole focus and they had mostly avoided pranking him or their classmates during potions classes. Neither Fred nor George had a death wish after all. But now his attention was concentrated on them and only them and even if he could no longer take house points or assign detentions, Snape could be a scary bastard. But luckily for them, he was a well-read bastard and an expert in mental disciplines and Fred was sure that he and George would be able to learn everything necessary from their former Professor if they managed not to destroy his annoying portrait beforehand. This would be the real challenge, Fred expected. But Hermione's beaming face when they told her that the session had gone well was worth every insult and death thread he had endured through the evening.   
For the next evening, they invited themselves for dinner with their parents at the Burrow. Their mother was, of course, thrilled to have them; she was always happy to see her children after all. As he and George hadn't shown themselves very often in the last weeks, she welcomed the three of them with warm smiles and motherly hugs.   
"Mum!" Fred complained and tried to squirm away from the wet kisses, she was peppering his face with. "We've been here two days before. And I'm a married man now so please, would you stop treating me like a child in front of my wife?" But his mum didn't seem to hear him as she just pulled him closer.  
"My pretty little boy, what has this evil Bellatrix done to you?" she murmured, and Fred couldn't help but roll his eyes.  
"I'm still handsome enough, thank you very much."  
He heard his twin chuckle at that and cast him a dirty glance before pulling away from his mum. Merlin, sometimes this woman could be a bit too much, especially when there were no younger siblings around he could direct her attentions to. "Where are Ron and Ginny by the way?" he asked quickly in the hope of distracting his mum from suffocating him with her hugs.   
His mum smiled happily. "They're all upstairs, I believe. But they already had dinner and told me explicitly not to be disturbed for the next hours."  
"That's good to hear," George chimed in from behind. "…because we were hoping to have a little chat with just you… for now at least."  
She looked at them with a raised eyebrow but shooed them towards the kitchen without another word. But Fred could see the curiosity in her face and so he decided to get it all out as fast as possible. No use in stalling the inevitable. He waited before she closed the door behind them and didn't even bother sitting down at the kitchen table before saying:  
"Mum, we've come to seek some advice from you," he cleared his throat nervously. "You see… we're expecting…"  
He didn't get any further, because she was hugging him again with an excited squeal. "Oh Frederick! George! My boys! You're making me so proud! Hermione! Come here…" She didn't even wait for Hermione to comply and just pulled her close with the rest of them. He heard George huff next to him, but his twin endured her overenthusiastic attentions with stoic calmness that made Fred relax into her hug too. Yes, he wanted to get the news out as fast as possible, but they weren't in a hurry after all.   
It took their mum several minutes to finally let them go. When she did, she sat them down at the table and beamed at them with a radiant smile. "Well, I'm so happy for the three of you. I didn't really expect it so soon, figured Bill and Fleur might announce something first, but I'm sure you'll do fabulously."  
George cleared his throat nervously. "Well… what Fred tried to tell you before is, that we are expecting twins mum, magical ones at that." For a moment his mum looked totally stunned, before nodding and casting them a motherly smile.  
"Of course you do," she said and suddenly she didn't look surprised at all. "Well, don't worry dears. We'll sort your questions out in no time and if anything else pops up, I'm only a floo call away." At this, his mum gently patted Hermione's hand before getting up and preparing them some tea. For a moment, they sat together in silence, while their mum was puttering in the kitchen but soon there were steaming cups of tea and a big plate with sandwiches waiting for them on the table.  
"Well Hermione, anything, in particular, you want to know?" she finally asked after she sat down on the table herself.   
Hermione shrugged helplessly. "I'm an only child and come from a very small family. There haven't been many babies while I was growing up so I'm probably as unprepared as one can get. Didn't even know I was eight weeks along until Madam Pomfrey told me."   
Molly nodded. "Don't worry dear. You've got a large family now and I'm sure everybody will be thrilled and willing to help."  
Hermione nodded with a smile. "That would be great, thank you. Is a pregnancy with magical twins anyhow different from a normal pregnancy? I mean, is there anything I should probably avoid doing?"  
His mum laughed again. "Well, except the fact that you'll get huge towards the end you might tire out very fast. Your body is feeding two magical cores after all and you will recognize that it will take its toll on you. Somedays I didn't even want to get out of bed with these two. You might get hungry a lot, too. Don't worry about gaining too much weight either, with magical twins that's usually not an issue as it takes lots of energy to grow them."  
Hermione nodded and for a moment she looked like she followed a challenging lecture in school. But then she cleared her throat nervously and the impression was gone again. "Well, that's good to know. And… do you think there is any possibility to hide this pregnancy from the ministry? I mean, Poppy could perform the necessary health checks, right?"  
His mum nodded again. "I'm sure she can. She's not a certified midwife but I have some experience myself, so if you really want to keep a low profile, we'll make it work for you."  
Hermione cleared her throat again. "Right. What about… the… ah… weekly obligations of the Marriage Law? If we keep the pregnancy quiet, we'll have to follow through with them to the very end… do you think it…" Fred could see her face getting more and more red and he had the feeling he wasn't that far behind as he understood what she was going to ask. "…do you think we'll be able to…perform…all the way through?" George choked on his tea, obviously, he hadn't guessed what Hermione was going to ask his mum. Fred could hear his twin groan silently through the bond. "Merlin… this starts getting awkward very fast." Fred heard him whisper in his head and he couldn't help but agree.   
But his mum didn't seem ruffled at all and cast Hermione a motherly smile. "Well, Arthur and I never had a problem with that kind of thing. And Fred and George are quite accomplished wizards after all and between the two of them they will surely think of something to make you comfortable enough." She winked at them and for a moment, Fred hoped the ground would just open up and swallow him. Merlin, this was even worse than the talk he had with his dad some years ago. "There are always levitation charms and feather-light charms have also proven quite useful…"  
"Okay, thanks, mum. I'm sure we'll manage." George interrupted her with a pained smile. "As you said, we are skilled and clever wizards. Don't worry…" Hermione looked at them red-faced but seemed determined to ask even more awkward questions. No wonder Snape had found her so annoying. This woman was brave enough to even poke a sleeping dragon.   
"So… ah… the physical part might not be a problem then. What about…" Hermione looked at them with something resembling mortification but rambled on anyway, "Well… I have heard that during pregnancy… well… what if I feel unwell or something and don't want to… did this happen to you and what did you do? Is there maybe a potion or something I could take?"   
His mum laughed. "Don't worry dear. You'll find that you will grow quite attached to your wizards. Magical pregnancies can do this to a woman and twin pregnancies even more so. The magical cores of the children somehow interact with the ones of the parents and want them close. Sometimes Arthur and I couldn't take our fingers off each other." His mum sighed dreamily but Hermione looked, if possible, alarmed at the news. She swallowed heavily.  
"Okay… eh… will this feeling fade away some time? I mean, after giving birth?"  
Fred furrowed his brows. What was Hermione playing at?  
"Well… after some time they do go away. Might be also due to the fact, that there are two time-demanding newborns around you'll have to take care of." She winked at them and Fred chuckled. But Hermione just nodded solemnly.   
"Alright, thank you, Molly," she replied with a fake smile. I think that will be all for now. "Do you think we should tell the others now?"  
Their mum jumped to attention immediately and just a minute later they were back in the living room surrounded by happy family. But Fred got the impression that Hermione had just wanted to distract their attention. The question was, why?

++++++++


	19. Uncomfortable truths

The rest of the evening seemed like a blur to Hermione and she couldn't even remember who was at the Burrow when they finally released the news of being pregnant with magical twins. She was sure to have seen Ron somewhere and Ginny of course. But was Harry also there? Or Neville? Or maybe even Bill and Fleur? Hermione really didn't know, but in a way she also didn't care. Molly's words still rang in her ears and kept rolling through her head. Could it be that the pregnancy was just messing with her brain and she wasn't really in love with her husbands? She was eight weeks along after all and when had she started to feel more attached to them? That must have been around this time or even later. What if her feelings were not her own but the ones the babies projected into her? God, this situation was all so messed up and Hermione had the feeling that as soon as things started to look better for her again, fate just threw another stone at her. And she was just so tired of it!  
"Hermione? Love? What's wrong?" she suddenly heard George's voice behind her and a moment later his arms had encircled her from behind. "You've been staring at the same spot on the wall for ages and well… I can't shake the feeling that something is off." He was right. She'd been standing in the middle of the living room and staring at a spot right next to the fireplace for at least two minutes now. In fact, she couldn't remember having moved at all, after coming back from the Burrow. No wonder that George had gotten suspicious.   
She sighed tiredly and realized that Fred too was watching her with worried eyes. "I…" Hermione groaned. She really didn't want to tell them. Things had just gotten better between the three of them and she really didn't want to ruin the mood. But on the other hand, she also didn't want to be alone with these thoughts. Wasn't it just fair to tell them and not give them any false hopes? After all, she promised herself that she wouldn't lead them on intentionally. It just wasn't fair for any of them. "It's something your mum said earlier on," she finally confessed and turned around to face the two of them. "…about the babies influencing our feeling for each other." She swallowed heavily as she saw the confusion in their eyes. God, they really didn't understand, did they? She'd really have to spell this out for them. Why was this so difficult for her? Hermione could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, but she refused to cast her eyes down to avoid looking at the twins. They deserved to look her in the eyes when she told them. "I…" she swallowed heavily again. "I love you," she finally confessed, and a sob escaped her lips. "Both of you."  
They stared at her mutely for a moment, before they leapt towards her and pulled her close so that she was sandwiched between the two of them. "Hey Hermione… but that's nothing to cry about. It's… that's wonderful actually." George soothed her and stroked her hair.   
"Because… we do too, you know?" Fred continued to murmur into her ear. But this only wrenched another sob from her. Merlin, what a mess!  
"But do you? Are you sure? Because suddenly I'm not. Haven't you heard what your mum said? It could all just be this pregnancy, the babies' magical cores making us believe we do…"  
At that, they just pulled her closer, Fred to her left, George to her right. They seemed to steady her between the two of them and Hermione was thankful they hadn't pulled away from her after her confession.   
"No love," George said to her gently and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'm quite sure that what I feel for you is not just some baby-induced love-drunkenness or whatever you fear."  
"Nope," Fred agreed smilingly. "We're sure we're quite smitten with you." At that, he gently cupped her face and turned it slightly so that she faced him. He locked eyes with her, and she realized how trusting and vulnerable he looked for a moment. But then the impression changed to something else and before Hermione was able to analyse what it was, he had pulled her into a gentle kiss. His lips felt wonderful as they kissed her ever so slowly while his thumb caressed her face. "Does this feel unreal to you?" he finally asked her after he'd pulled away. But before she could answer George was suddenly in front of her, kissing her, while Fred had moved behind her like he had sensed his twin's move. Well, probably he had. I love you, George's kisses on her mouth said silently, while Fred pulled her close from behind and started nibbling at her throat. And suddenly Hermione didn't care any longer, because she wanted those feelings within her to be true. She wanted to love them and to be loved in return.   
"I love you." she gasped as George's lips ended the kiss and she could feel her heart picking up pace.   
"Brilliant." she could hear Fred from behind, before he kissed her earlobe and murmured, "Fancy a snog on the sofa? Because Georgie and I would really like to show you just how much we love you."   
She could have sworn her heart just skipped a beat but then she saw George's brown, hopeful eyes waiting for her reply. But the prospect of being with both of the twins at the same time made her feel overwhelmed at the very least.   
"Just a snog, yeah? Promise?" she asked nervously, but George instantly nodded and grinned happily at her.   
"Nothing more, don't panic," Fred whispered into her ear from behind and she could feel the goosebumps spread on her skin. "On the other hand, you should know by now that with the two of us it's never just a snog." He laughed and before she could process his words, he had scooped her up from behind and carried her to the sofa bridal style. George was close behind with a giddy smile on his face and Hermione couldn't help but release a happy giggle herself, "Well then, do your worst, you two." she challenged and earned herself a wide grin from Fred. "Never that, love, never that." Suddenly his lips were back at hers again and she didn't even feel it when he finally put her down onto the sofa. She was too occupied by the two redheads that thoroughly ravished her mouth for the rest of the evening. 

++++++++

For the next days, George lived in a happy bubble. His girl had confessed her love for him and his twin and even though there was still some uneasiness in her, George saw that she was more and more accepting her feelings towards them. And it made him unbelievably happy.  
On Thursday, Hermione's next training session with Flitwick was scheduled and as they promised to their wife, George and his brother Fred came along for that. They were determined to learn to protect her from whatever was waiting for her, and how could they expect her to step down if nobody stepped up in return? Yes, there was Harry now and Neville, too. But as he knew Hermione, she wouldn't leave it to their friends to fight for her. And so it was up to them to ensure she was as safe as she could be.   
"Well…" George said and looked at their Charms Master nervously, "How are we going to do this? We can't duel you all at the same time now, can we?"  
The little Professor giggled. "No, that wouldn't really help you that much, would it? What about you two duel each other first and show me, what you are capable of?"  
Fred shrugged grinningly. "Sure, nothing we haven't done before." And so it began. He and Fred were like a well-oiled machine and fights between the two of them could go on for ages, as their skills were well-matched, and the twin-bond helped to sense and to counter each twin's attacks.  
"Well, alright, alright," Professor shouted after watching them for about five minutes. "No more pairing the two of you. You're better off as a team I guess." They grinned at him. "Course we are."  
Hermione chuckled from behind and it didn't take long for their Professor to join in.   
"Well, what should we do then?" George asked after a minute. "Duel the two of you?"   
The Professor chuckled. "Not until the very end of your training I'm afraid. Just go against Hermione at first."  
George couldn't help his eyes bulging out at the thought. "Are you sure? Both of us? What if we hurt her or… or the babies?"  
But their Professor seemed totally unconcerned. "In a friendly duel? Quite unlikely. Refrain from using lethal spells or spells that could drain her magical core, also no physical impact with her midsection." George nodded unconvinced. "Are you sure?" He asked his wife. Hermione nodded smilingly towards them.   
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She moved proudly towards the training area and positioned herself elegantly with her wand in hand. "Well, do your worst then," she grinned, and Fred chuckled next to him.  
"Oh Hermione, you should know by now, that we are physically incapable of doing our worst."   
Hermione snorted amusedly at that. "Well then do your best instead."

++++++++

"God Hermione, you're really scary if you hand us our arses like that. I swear my ribcage still hurts from that spell you were using earlier on."   
Hermione chuckled. "Well, what did you think I was doing with Filius and Snape all the time? Drinking tea and eating biscuits?"  
Fred laughed. "Well, no. But it was two of us against you. And we were two years above you in school." It almost sounded like he was pouting which she found amusing to no end. "You've no idea how much this wounds my pride."  
"Don't worry. We'll get you in shape in no time. Today you didn't know what to expect, but I'm sure the two of you will come up with something brilliant. It's not only about knowing the right spells, you know? The element of surprise is sometimes even more important. That's how I did it with Bellatrix."  
Suddenly the twin's eyes were fixed on her, and she could see them study her carefully. She probably shouldn't have brought that topic up.  
"Hermione?" George's voice asked her, while he slowly took her hand and pulled her towards him. "Do you… do you want to talk about it? The duel with her I mean."  
She looked at him with inquiring eyes. "Do you really want to know George? Do you, Fred? Because I'm not sure if you do."  
But Fred smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry Mione, we won't judge you. You know, I'm thankful that you had the skills and the guts to do, what had to be done - whatever that was. It's fine if you don't want to tell us though."  
Hermione looked at them for a long moment. Did she want to tell them? She didn't know. But she'd have to tell someone, just to get it all out. She sighed. Those two had shown her over and over again that she could trust them and now it was time for her to do so.  
"I think I surprised her," she admitted with a smile. "Death Eaters like Bellatrix are used to having the upper hand in a fight as their victims are mostly defending themselves and using non-lethal spells. They on the other hand mostly throw around Unforgivables in a fight." She shrugged and finally sat down on the sofa next to Fred, pulling George who had taken hold of her hand with her. "When they expect to face a stronger enemy, they also try other things and start to get creative. I've been told You-Know-Who's duel in the Department of Mysteries was quite spectacular. But with enemies like us they usually don't use anything out of the ordinary." She started playing with her hair. "Don't get me wrong. when they hit you with one of these curses you are still screwed. But it helps, when you can prepare yourself for what you are facing."  
They looked at her in astonishment. "Well, what did you do to surprise her?"  
Hermione smiled. "The unexpected. I wasn't Hermione Granger, the schoolgirl throwing around stunners and disarming spells. I was Hermione Weasley, veteran of a war, daughter of two medical professionals with a fondness of medical textbooks and a knack for charms and transfigurations. You don't have to use the killing curse to kill somebody. There're hundreds of ways to do it."  
George gulped but she could tell that he was hanging on her lips waiting for her to continue her explanation. Fred on the other hand just nodded understandingly and asked, "So you what? Please Hermione, just tell us. Because my mind is supplying me with lots of ways you could have done it and I don't really like what I see."  
She nodded and straightened her back. "I stopped her heart in the end. It's quite simple actually. All you need is a surge of electric energy to the right spot on the chest. It didn't look dangerous when I cast it and Bellatrix didn't even make an effort to block it as it wasn't a curse but a charm I cast."  
Fred laughed. "Well, too bad that most wizards don't have an ounce of medical knowledge. Do you think you could teach us some of those things?"  
Hermione looked at him in astonishment. "Are you serious? You want me to explain to you how to… how to kill?"  
But he just shrugged at her unconcernedly and took her hand. "I will learn anything that helps me to protect you from the bad guys, love. I don't want you to feel alone in this any longer, because you're not. I'll do anything it takes to keep our family safe. And if I have to learn how to stop hearts or… I don't know… pull teeth then so be it."  
She looked at him for a long moment, but finally, she nodded. "Alright. There might be a thing or two you could easily learn." Her eyes drifted towards George for confirmation. But he was studying her with an unreadable expression.   
"George? Are you alright?"  
He sighed. "I… that wasn't everything you did, right Hermione? There… they didn't find her body until now, you know?"  
She nodded grimly. "And they won't, ever. I…" she swallowed heavily but forced herself to look him in the eyes. "I burned her, afterwards. I burned her with Fiendfire."   
He sputtered. "You what? You cast Fiendfire? That's dangerous, Hermione. You could have lost control and…"  
She nodded solemnly. "I know, believe me. Did I ever tell you that I was almost killed by this spell during the war in the Room of Requirement? I didn't cast it back then myself, but I've experienced the danger of it firsthand. Even though I didn't want to leave anything behind for the Death Eaters to find: not her body or your blood or anything… What if they tracked us by a hair or something?"  
George nodded. "That's how you drained your magical core, isn't it? It wasn't the fight with Bellatrix, it was the Fiendfire right?"  
"Yeah, it was," she confirmed sadly and hung her head. "I… almost didn't make it out."  
Fred gasped and a moment later he pulled her close. George wasn't far behind and wrapped himself around her from the other side. None of them spoke a word for a long time, and Hermione allowed herself to simply bathe in their affections. 

++++++++


	20. Brainstorming

Chapter 20: Brainstorming

Fred and George threw themselves into their duelling lessons as they had into learning and practising Quidditch. Hermione's words and the duel against her had given them a lot to think about. It was only logical that it was best to use unexpected spells or ways to fight in a duel as the opponent would be hopefully unprepared to deal with them. And if there was something the two of them were good at, then it was in surprising people and being creative. Who said that a duel was just about spells and counterspells?   
It was their new evening entertainment to come up with duelling ideas. Hermione usually buried herself in a book and studied Occlumency or spells that she found useful and lounged on the sofa, until they all decided to go to bed. Fred and George picked their common spot in front of the fireplace, but instead of playing exploding snap or wizarding chess they had started brainstorming.   
"What do you think about apparating during the fight? Suddenly appearing behind your enemy and being able to attack from behind… you'd just have to be quick." Fred suggested.  
"It's worth a try. We could practise with Hermione or Flitwick and see if it works. But I'm more a fan of creating useful battle gear or modified joke products. Maybe stronger versions of the Shield Cloak or I dunno… think about a way to modify Puking Pastilles to something that could be inhaled…. Like small beads, you throw into the masses and if they break, they leak fumes that make you violently ill, or let you faint, give you nightmares…"  
Fred gaped at him. "Merlin, could you imagine? You could give this stuff to anybody from the Order to be used in a fight. The Death Eaters wouldn't know what hit them. If we could get this stuff to work…" He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.  
George nodded. "It could make the difference between winning and losing. I mean, it won't help us much against Voldisnort but against his bunch of groupies? They won't know what hit them."  
Both of them grinned. And then they started planning. 

+++++++++

The next days flew by like a whirlwind for Fred and George. Their business was booming, and with duelling practise thrice a week in the evenings and their inventing of useful tools and weapons for the fight, there wasn't much time for anything else. And so their evening cuddles in bed with their wife were the only time for them to catch their breaths. But there would be a time when all of this was finally over and they could enjoy peace and quiet together, they told themselves, and so they soldiered on, even though it got harder and harder every day. Because inventing those products was fun on the one hand, they loved inventing, that's what they lived for, but it also meant that the fight was creeping closer and closer day by day. And they still hadn't found a way to keep Hermione away from the front line. There had to be a way to keep her safe and they were determined to find it, even if it meant asking help from other people.  
"Hey Harry, hey Neville," they shouted into the kitchen of Spinner's End after apparating into the narrow hallway of the house.   
"Fred? George? Is that you?" came Harry's voice from behind the door and a moment later the messy-haired boy peeked at them through the door. "Hey, guys. Didn't expect you, to be honest. Where's Hermione?"  
"She's training with Flitwick today. We actually wanted to catch you guys alone." George admitted and pulled at his remaining ear. "Do you have a moment?"  
Harry studied them curiously. "Sure. Come in."  
He stepped aside and led them into the kitchen, where Neville, who must have heard them, had already prepared four cups and a can of tea. "Hey guys." he greeted them from his chair at the table where he was obviously studying a book on magical plants. There was no doubt with them that the shy Gryffindor would one day take Professor Sprout's place at Hogwarts.   
Fred and George seated themselves comfortably at the table and couldn't help but look around the kitchen in awe. "You've redecorated." George acknowledged with a grin. "Now this place looks almost comfy." And it did. The two of them had used their time to not only transfigure the wallpaper and tiles to a sunny yellow, they had also transfigured all the interior to fit into a modern bachelor household.   
Neville and Harry grinned. "Well, there's not much to do for us here. And we found we'd rather do something useful before going crazy with cabin fever."  
Fred chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine. We too haven't been much in public, but at least for us there's the shop and the training sessions. How's your training with Snape and Hermione going by the way?"  
Harry shrugged. "It's different than what I expected. I mean, we had him in DADA before, but it was nothing like that. Sure, he's still a git but the guy must have been scary in a duel. I'm actually happy he can't hex us any longer. Might have been helpful, but can you imagine? Duelling Snape? Two years ago, I might have been delusional enough to believe I could hex him, but knowing what I do now? I wouldn't have even landed a hit."  
Neville snorted. "Well, I would have peed my pants for sure."  
The twins looked at him with pity. "Are you alright here with him?"  
Neville nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, he's actually quite helpful. And I'm not the same person I was two years ago. Snape can't scare me any longer."  
"I imagine not. You wanted to go against You-no-poo on your own, mate." Fred said and clasped the young Gryffindor's shoulder. "If old Snakeface couldn't scare you, the grumpy bat downstairs doesn't stand a chance."   
Neville chuckled, while Harry looked at them somewhat uncomfortably. But neither Fred nor George commented on it.   
"Well, you two, Freddy and I actually came to discuss what you're planning to do now to get rid of our new Minister. Do you have something in mind? Or do you maybe need us for something?"  
Harry sighed tiredly. "I've been thinking about it a lot. But the thing is that I've got no idea how to get a hold on him and the snake. Preferably, I'd like to take the snake out first, but I have a strong feeling that he's keeping Nagini close now."  
Neville nodded. "We don't have Hogwarts any longer and most of our fighters are… unavailable. There're not many members of the old Order of the Phoenix left. If you ask me, we should avoid a large battle where he brings all the dementors, spiders and other pets again. We'd never be able to take them all down ourselves."  
The twins nodded. "So, no larger battle. We'll have to lure him out, then. Don't worry, we'll think about it. Have you… considered reaching out to other people you trust? I reckon the more of us the better."  
Harry looked at them contemplatively, "You mean like resurrecting the Order?"  
George shrugged. "Maybe not all of them. But there are still people we trust. What about McGonagall and Flitwick? Or Hagrid? I'm sure there are others we could get on board. If you're unsure we could let them sign a contract for secrecy or let them swear an Unbreakable Vow. What do you think?"  
Neville hummed approvingly. "Well, we won't be able to do this alone. What if we made a list together? Would you find a way to contact these people discreetly and invite them to a place? We could ask Hermione to draw up a suitable contract. She did it with the DA and I'm sure she'd create an even more fool-proof contract for this occasion."  
Fred nodded. "I'm sure she'll love to help us with that. She's getting a bit antsy, you know? Wants to put this dark chapter behind her as soon as possible."  
Harry smiled knowingly. "I can imagine. But don't worry. Hermione's no fool. First, she'll want to draw out the perfect plan. And that's what we're going to do. But first, we'll assemble the troops. Well gents, are you up for it?"  
Fred and George grinned, and each pulled out a notebook from their back pockets. "Absolutely. Well? Who did you have in mind?"

++++++++

Severus Snape would have never admitted it, but he loved being able to teach again. He never enjoyed it as long as he was still alive and in Hogwarts. Teaching Potions to eleven-year-olds was usually like teaching dogs to sing or to use cutlery for eating. Well, maybe not as bad as that, but there was rarely a student that really showed an interest in the topic and had the intelligence to not be a pain during the lessons. He loved Potions, he really did, but he loved brewing them in the remoteness of his lab and not teaching the topic to a class of dunderheads. That's why he always wanted to teach defence. Most kids loved the topic or at least showed an interest. And if there was something he had practical knowledge in, then it was on how to survive dark curses or creatures. But by the time he got the position, he could rarely enjoy the teaching. His last year as a teacher had been more of a nightmare. Dumbledore dying from this blasted curse, begging him to finish him off before Draco did, then trying to protect his godson, another dunderhead who simply refused his help, and almost got two other kids killed that year. Merlin, he didn't want to know how many grey hairs he'd gotten alone from this. But then there was the fact that he was still watched by the Dark Lord's spies and so it was impossible to really teach the kids more than the curriculum permitted.   
But now he was finally free to teach those kids everything he saw fit and found useful. No more ties to anybody, not Dumbledore or the Dark Lord. No, Severus Snape was free. And he was bored. Who would have thought that being dead could be so incredibly boring? He hadn't really been a sociable person before and the only real friend he had in life was Lily. Yes, she was dead too, and he should probably go and talk to her. But well, there was still time. And Lily didn't have the possibility to help her son or his friends during this fight. There have only been a handful of possibilities for her to talk to Harry, as far as he knew. Having a portrait, no two portraits, had its merits. He could still interact with the world, still help. And maybe he could help them to win.  
Then, finally he would seek her out and try to talk to her. And maybe then she had forgiven him.  
"Professor? Are you here?" It was Hermione calling for him. She still visited him on a daily basis and in the last days she had seemed more and more radiant to him. Probably those Weasley boys had finally pulled their head out of their arses and told her how they felt about her. Well, he was one to talk. He'd never told Lily what she meant to him, but he should have. And he simply couldn't stand to watch others make the same mistake.   
"Hermione," he greeted her with a crooked smile. "…always in time, I see."  
She sent him a pleased smile in return. "Well, most of the time anyway. Did you have a pleasant day? Or has the Headmaster been bugging you again?"  
He snorted. "Albus is getting quite inquisitive. He hates not being in the centre of things. He's moved us around like chess pieces for that a long time and now he cannot stand to be left out."  
Hermione cast him an amused smile. "Well, too bad that his only portrait is in the Headmaster's office. Maybe Aberforth could be persuaded to commission another frame for him, as I have unfortunately run out of funds."  
Severus snorted in amusement. "His brother hates his guts as far as I know. But if you're really going to ask Aberforth you must take me along to watch."  
She giggled. "Well, too bad I'm not his biggest fan either. What was he thinking sending three clueless teenagers on a scavenger hunt for Horcruxes when he himself got lethally cursed on the hunt for the ring? I mean what sane individual does that? He could have sent Moody, or McGonagall or you!"  
The woman was fuming again. He loved it when she was ranting about the Headmaster. It was his second favourite thing to watch. He snorted. "Maybe I should tell him that you've included Minerva and Filius in your little band of Horcrux hunters. And Longbottom."  
Hermione nodded. "You can tell him someday in the future. But you should keep him in suspense a bit longer."  
He grinned. "Hermione, you are quite a devious little witch. Who would have thought this about the bushy-haired know-it-all?"  
She flashed him another grin. "I'm glad I could surprise you, Professor. Well, anyway. There's a thing I wanted to discuss with you."  
Severus raised his eyebrow. "Did you now? Well, go on then."  
Suddenly she seemed nervous, this much he could tell. And Hermione hadn't been nervous in his presence for quite some time. Curious. She cleared her throat.  
"Well, the boys want to resurrect the Order. We won't include all of the former members, because we don't trust all of them after losing the battle. But there are still trustworthy people around who would support us, and they need to know."  
He looked at her inquiringly. "Need to know what?"  
She sighed. "They need to know about Harry and that we're going to make a move against him. And they need to know about you, that you didn't betray us I mean."  
He watched her for a long time without giving an answer, and the longer he waited the more nervous she got. "Why do they need to know about me? It doesn't matter Hermione, I'm dead." He finally replied evenly. "It's not like I care what they think about me."  
As soon as he finished the sentence something flashed in her eyes, something he hasn't seen there for a very long time. "But I care, and Harry does, too. Even if you don't want to believe it, but there are people who care about you. Even if you don't care about us."  
For a moment he was speechless, and this was a novelty. Of course, he had suspected that she felt something like… well, like what? Gratitude? Obligation? Survivor's guilt? "Don't be absurd, Hermione. I've never had a kind word for you, at least as long as I was alive. Don't doubt it, I made sure to never let anything slip. Why should you care about your dead Potions professor? You aren't that much of a teacher's pet."  
He could already see her nostrils flare and he was almost sure that she would snap. But she didn't. One moment, she looked ready to burst from the room or break into tears, but suddenly her whole demeanour shifted and she was her calm, collected self – thanks to Occlumency, no doubt. He had taught her well. "Well, for the protocol," she said with a slightly amused tone. "I like you, Severus Snape. And if you weren't in a portrait, I'd give you a hug to prove it." And then she grinned, and Severus Snape was speechless again. But Hermione didn't give him much time to find his bearings and just continued, "Don't make this any harder than it is, Professor, and just accept it, will you? People care about you; you just have to let them. So please, let me take you along when we assemble the Order. And then let us tell them your story."   
He looked at her for a very long time and he could have sworn that he could feel his heart beating in his chest, which was ridiculous – he was dead after all. "Very well, Hermione. But don't come running to me when this blows up into your faces."  
At that, the little minx flashed him a cheeky grin. "Wouldn't dream of it, Professor."


	21. Rise of the Phoenix

It took them a while to decide on a suitable meeting place for their resurrection of the Order of Phoenix. At first, they had considered Spinner's End, but Hermione put a stop to this thought immediately. The house was her safe place in case things went pear-shaped. She even considered putting the place under the Fidelius Charm to make it even safer because, now that she was pregnant, she didn't just have her own future to consider. And she didn't want a bunch of people waltzing through her safe house. The twins, Harry and Neville were fine, but, for now, she wanted to leave it at that. McGonagall Manor was ruled out for a similar reason. The place already had a secret keeper and they wouldn't be able to bring Harry and Neville without informing the Professor beforehand. But Hermione's secret reason was also that she wanted to be on a safe territory for now. Last time she had been to McGonagall Manor she had left it in a rush, and even if she was somewhat embarrassed by her reaction now, she wasn't totally comfortable returning there so soon. Maybe it was silly of her, but she couldn't help the feeling.  
Finally, they settled for the Burrow as a meeting place. It was safe enough, even without the Fidelius Charm, and it wouldn't be too suspicious if a bunch of Weasleys came there for a visit. The rest of them would use the floo to avoid being spotted. Another plus was that the Weasleys already knew about Neville's and Harry's whereabouts, but apart from that, the Burrow was the only suitable place for a meeting at the moment.   
Deciding on the people to invite proved equally difficult. They needed to play it safe for now and so they decided to invite only Luna, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and Shacklebolt, aside from the whole Weasley clan who was pretty much a given. Eventually, they'd have to bring in other people they trusted, but they decided to discuss possible candidates with the others first.  
"You alright Mione?" Fred asked his wife who looked like she was about to burst with nervous energy next to him. She nodded, but it didn't look very convincing to him.   
"Everything will be alright love, don't fret." his twin murmured at her other side into her ear, but Fred heard it anyway. "Harry and Neville will wait in the other room until everybody is seated and we made the big announcement. After that, there will be some more crying and lots of questions, but that's not for us to worry about. I'm sure Harry will be fine there on his own. And then we can finally get down to business."  
"You forget that we need to tell them about Snape," she said with a nervous smile, but Fred just shrugged.  
"Harry can back up the story if need be, so don't worry." George soothed her and finally, some of her energy deflated.  
"Alright." she agreed and seemed to calm down a bit. It took five more minutes for the room to fill. They had decided to use the dining room, and soon everybody was cramped around the large table with Hagrid sitting in the back of the room on the floor. Hell, when they wanted to invite more members into the Order, they'd definitely need a larger place to meet.   
The door to the living room opened once more and a moment later Fred felt Hermione stiffen next to him. He looked up in confusion and registered that it was his little brother. But he obviously wasn't alone.   
"That's Lavender." Hermione murmured tonelessly next to him and he couldn't help but register how uncomfortable she sounded. "Did you invite her?" Her voice sounded so small and for a moment he felt a pang of jealousy in his chest. Could it be that she was still pining after his idiot of a brother?  
"Course not," he mumbled and got up from his chair. "I'll talk to him, love." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and a moment later he was off. Leave it to his idiot of a brother to ruin a perfectly planned meeting.  
"Hey Ron, do you have a minute?" he asked his annoying sibling before he and the girl had even reached the table. They were still lingering close to the door and Fred could have sworn that his brother suddenly felt what a bad idea it was to bring her unannounced.  
"Don't you think it would have been a good idea to inform us that you wanted to bring another guest?" he growled at his sibling as soon as he had shut the door behind the two of them. His brother gulped but squared his shoulders stubbornly.   
"She's my girlfriend, Fred. I trust her," he said and fixed him with a hard stare. He sighed tiredly.  
"Good for you, then. But don't you think Hermione, Neville and Harry should trust her too, first? Ron, they planned this whole meeting and I think it should be up to them with whom they want to share their secrets." It was obviously the wrong thing to say as Fred could already see his brother's colour rise.   
"It's because of Hermione, isn't it? Well, she's always been jealous of Lavender, but I figured that now that she snatched herself two husbands and even got two babies on the way it might be safe to bring Lavender along."  
Fred huffed in annoyance. Sometimes his little brother could be an ignorant little prick. "Your love life is none of our business, Ron. I'm happy for you, I really am. But did you consider that Hermione hasn't chosen this path on her own? Is it fair of you to rub your girlfriend into her face?"  
Ron shrugged helplessly and mumbled, "Well, she looked happy enough to me. Figured things between the three of you were going well."  
He didn't comment on that because after seeing Hermione's reaction he wasn't entirely sure. She said that she loved them, and he had believed her, so they should be alright. But he better made sure of it first, before blabbing it to his little brother and his gossip-loving girlfriend. "Be that as it may, I think we should at least ask Harry and Neville first. Are you alright with that?"  
At that, Ron finally deflated. "Yeah sure. I'll go and ask them. Go back inside Fred. If they have something to say against the idea, I'll simply leave with Lavender before the meeting starts. No big deal."   
Fred sighed with relief. "Thanks, Ron. We can't be careful enough, you know? And you're sure you trust that bird?"  
His brother nodded seriously. "I do. There's quite a bit of history between us and she has suffered as much through the war, as the rest of us. Lav has kept me upright for the last weeks before I knew Harry was back. I'm not sure if I'd made it without her."  
Fred rubbed his forehead tiredly. He could see that his brother was totally serious about the last bit and he was glad that there had been somebody to help him through. "Okay then, talk to Harry and Neville. I'll tell Hermione. But please Ron, don't make things more difficult for her than they already are."  
His brother nodded. "We'll stay out of your way. Don't worry."  
Well, that was easier said than done. Merlin, when did his life get so difficult? He went back inside and sat down next to Hermione. Merlin, he really didn't want to explain his brother's idiocy to her, but there was nothing for it.  
"Ron's brought Lavender with him. They are obviously an item now. Told me she's trustworthy in his eyes. I sent him to Harry and Neville to get their okay for bringing her. But we'll let all of them sign the contract anyway. There's no chance anyone of them will be able to rat us out. You made quite sure of that, love." He kept his voice low and nobody except her and George seemed to have listened to his rambling. George cast him a doubtful look in return, but Hermione just nodded tiredly.  
"I can't begrudge her for wanting revenge on the people who almost mauled her to death. I didn't like her in the past, but maybe it's time to put that behind. If Ron trusts her, then that should be enough for me. And you're right. The contract will protect us from being betrayed. Marietta Edgecombe has taught me this lesson the hard way."   
She grinned darkly and Fred wasn't sure if she secretly wished for Lavender to try to rat them out. But he refrained from asking her for now.   
Ron was back in the room about five minutes later and cast them a silent nod, before sitting down next to his new girlfriend. Fred tried to study Hermione's expression from the corner of his eyes, but there was no chance to do it and stay undetected for now. And so he decided to simply get the meeting started.  
"Okay everybody," he said and got up from his chair. "Brilliant, that all of you could make it here. Before we get to the bottom of things, I'd like to ask you to read through this neat little contract Hermione has drawn up. I hope you all understand that these are dangerous times and we can't risk our secrets being exposed to the wrong people. That's why we need an insurance before we tell you what this is all about. If any of you are uncomfortable with the implications of the contract, then there is always the option to walk away from the meeting. None of us will judge you for this."  
At that, the room erupted into a lively discussion which only intensified as the contract was passed from one to the other. The three of them had thought long over this part of the plan. First, they had thought about implementing a punishment that would be bad enough that nobody would dare to betray them. But even then, they couldn't be sure there wasn't a loyal servant of Voldemort amongst them somewhere who wouldn't give a flying fuck about what happened to him as long as it made his master happy. That's why they went for the second option that Hermione proposed to them.  
"Did I get this right?" Percy spoke up from the other end of the table. "You want to use blood magic to ensure that we literally can't talk about the things that are discussed during those meetings with people outside of the group?" It was obvious that they had shocked their big brother to the core, but Hermione took it in stride.  
"That's correct. Everyone who wants to join will be required to willingly spill a drop of his blood onto the contract to make it binding. I'll cast the spell myself afterwards."  
At that, Minerva looked at her with a shocked expression. "Hermione dear, I'm sure you know that Albus would never have approved of that, don't you?"   
Hermione got up from her seat and looked at her proudly. "Exactly. Which led to Harry's parents being betrayed by Peter Pettigrew, who was a Death Eater for quite some time and still strolled in and out of your Order meetings without anyone being the wiser. How many of your secrets did he betray? How many of you died because he ratted you out?"  
They heard their mother gasp from the other end of the table and Hagrid blow his nose into a huge hanky. But Hermione looked totally unfazed. "As I said, I don't expect every one of you to go along with this. But in the end, it's our heads that are rolling and even though we do trust all of you we won't do this without an insurance."  
Fred and his brother nodded at that and got up from their seats. "We don't expect you to agree to this without giving it a moment of thought and discussing the terms amongst you. Hermione, George and I will leave the room for about half an hour. Mum will know where to find us if you finish earlier."  
Their mum nodded solemnly into their direction and the three of them left the room without another word. As soon as they had closed the door behind them, they could hear the room explode into a heated discussion.   
Hermione looked at the twins with a worried expression. "Do you think this was too much? Did I overdo it?"  
Fred smiled at her before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Nah, don't worry love. It will be fine, because you're right. Dumbledore was an idiot not thinking about a way to protect their secrets. It will just take them some time to admit it to themselves."  
George grinned. "Let them have their discussion. We'll wait upstairs in our room. I always wanted to snog you on my bed!"  
"George!" Hermione bristled.  
But the two of them just grinned boyishly and pulled her upstairs.

+++++++++

In the end, all of the invited guests signed the contract and gave a drop of their blood. Hermione could tell that some of them weren't very happy with her because of that, but she didn't care. Yes, Dumbledore would have never agreed with her using blood magic to protect them, but he was also the person who had sent three unsuspecting teenagers on a scavenger hunt for Horcruxes in the middle of a war. Compared to that, she was playing it safe.   
Hermione finished and sealed the magical contract within 15 minutes. They had already collected Harry's and Neville's blood beforehand and, after giving a drop of blood themselves, Hermione cast the spell and the document in front of them burst into purple flames. It vanished a moment later and only the purple glow that surrounded each person for a second gave an indication that the spell had worked.  
Hermione nodded with satisfaction. "Well, that was that. George, could you please get our other guests?"  
He nodded at her smilingly and left, but she could feel the curious eyes of the others that were resting on her. The Weasleys, of course, knew already, but she could still feel them watching her and waiting to learn about their plan. And Hermione would not disappoint them.  
The next minutes could be only described as emotional. She had already witnessed Harry's reunion with the Weasleys, but there were as many gasps and tears when Minerva, Filius, Luna and Hagrid saw him entering the room. Neville was for a moment completely ignored, but as he was about to move towards her and the twins, Luna recognized him with a gasp and threw herself into his arms and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. At that, Neville coloured into an impressive shade of red. Hermione couldn't suppress the smile that broke out on her face after watching this happy reunion. She was sure that most of them had almost forgiven her for the contract.  
"Well Hermione, now I understand your need for secrecy." Minerva finally told her in a stern voice which was betrayed by the gentleness in her eyes. "Thank you, my dear. You've given me more hope this evening that I would have deemed possible. I wonder what else you have in store for us. Any more unexpected guests?"  
She could tell that her Professor was trying to joke, but she smiled at her with glittering eyes. "Just one," she said with a grin, and with a flick of her wand, the portrait of her former Potions professor appeared at the wall behind her. She had sent Fred and George ahead this morning to disillusion it and put it up in the room, and the glinting eyes of the usually grumpy professor gave her the impression that he had found the last hour quite entertaining.  
"Well, good evening, Minerva." the black-haired man greeted his former colleague with a polite nod. Immediately, the room fell completely silent as all eyes were now on her, the portrait and Minerva. The latter was watching her like she was about to transfigure her into a mouse before eating her in her Animagus form.  
"Well Hermione, I really hope you have a very good explanation for that. Because I can assure you I won't be the only one that is quite anxious to hear what else you haven't shared with us."   
Hermione nodded with a calmness she didn't feel at all. "Well, you all better sit down for this. Because I can assure you it's quite a long story. Harry? Would you like to start?"  
Her best friend nodded towards her with a bright smile and stepped next to her and the scowling portrait of the Potions professor. He gently brushed his fingers across one corner of the frame before turning around to face the rest of the room. "If Professor Snape doesn't want the honour for himself?"  
Snape snorted humourlessly in his frame. "Go ahead boy, but don't spill all of my secrets."  
Harry grinned towards him. "Wouldn't dream of it, Professor. I'm not that much of an idiot." Hermione chuckled next to him. And then they started their tale.


	22. Calculated risks

"Merlin, I'm knackered." Fred groaned after the last of their guests had finally left the Burrow. It was a long evening and the discussions went on for several hours into the middle of the night. And they hadn't even been able to discuss half of the stuff they wanted to.   
"Let's head home then. Mum will be happy to get rid of us." George said and pointed his head in the direction of Snape's portrait. The man was sitting in his wingchair again and hid behind a rather ancient-looking book. Hermione nodded and walked towards the frame.  
"Professor Snape? Would you like to move to your other frame in the Headmaster's office before we leave? It might get a bit bumpy for you otherwise."  
The man scowled at her darkly. "I'm sure I'll manage. Just don't drop the frame, if you please."  
She nodded with a gentle smile. "I'll be careful, sir." And she was. Fred would have used the chance to bump the portrait against some corners on the way, just to annoy the infuriating man. But his wife seemed to have developed a soft spot for the Professor and carried him with the utmost care.   
Fred almost felt sorry for the guy himself. He could tell that Snape had disliked being in the spotlight during the meeting and having his actions exposed and explained by Harry and Hermione. But he had suffered through it with a stoic calmness that he had also kept up when Minerva and Filius asked for his forgiveness while cradling his frame. Fred had been weirded out by this display at first, but now he assumed that there must have been something like comradery or friendship between the Professors before their fall out. What would he himself feel like, if he was forced to let everybody think he had betrayed them and see them easily believe the worst of him? Not something he would like to imagine, let alone experience. But he hopefully wouldn't have to.   
It took them about half an hour to finally sink into their own bed and, even though Fred was dead tired, he cuddled against his wife and asked, "Love? Are you alright?" She had seemed fine later that evening, but he still kept remembering her face when she had seen Ron and his new girlfriend.  
She yawned tiredly. "Just tired. Things did go quite well I think and I'm quite satisfied with what we achieved today."  
He smiled fondly and saw his brother do the same behind her. "Yeah, this could have gone much worse, but that's actually not what I meant. I'm asking because of Ron."  
At that, understanding dawned in her eyes, but she still said, "What about him?"  
George cuddled closer from behind. "Well, you were close to him once, so close that you expected him to take our place. It would be quite understandable if you were upset about seeing him with a new girlfriend."  
Hermione sighed tiredly. "Is that what they are? They are together?"  
Fred nodded warily. "That's what he told me earlier, I'm sorry."  
But Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Why would you be sorry? I'm glad that he found somebody that makes him happy."  
"You are?" George asked from behind in a surprised tone.  
"Sure. It would be kind of selfish of me to begrudge him his love and happiness when I already found it myself."  
Fred grinned at her happily. "Quite right. And why would you be jealous of ickle Ronekins if you secured yourself his two much more charming brothers."   
Hermione snorted. "I'm not confirming that one, you know? No need to feed this big head of yours."  
Fred kissed her soundly on the mouth. "No need, love. Just kiss me already. I know I'm right anyway."  
Hermione giggled and swatted his arm playfully. And then she kissed him - thoroughly.

++++++++

Hermione threw herself into her training and studies with renewed vigour. She could tell that the time for their final confrontation was creeping nearer, or at least she hoped it was, as her slowly swelling tummy reminded her that time was running out. If she wanted to participate in a fight, it would need to happen soon. And Hermione wanted to be prepared for that occasion.   
Luckily, the others seemed to share her opinion that they shouldn't wait too long to approach Voldemort.   
"We mustn't wait until he has cemented his place in society," Neville said and sipped at his tea at the kitchen table in Spinner's End. "It will only make things more difficult afterwards."  
Harry agreed with him. "Yeah, we can't risk a big battle where he brings all his followers, the dementors, giants and whatnot. We wouldn't stand a chance against such a force."  
Hermione agreed. They couldn't risk a big offensive, but this would mean that his followers would still be around afterwards. "Then we'll have to be sneaky, lure him out or trap him somehow. The problem is we also need to take out the snake, preferably first."   
The twins nodded solemnly. "Are you sure he'd bring the snake along, Harry? Maybe he just hid her away somewhere? If she really is another Horcrux then he wouldn't risk her getting hurt."  
Harry sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's something that Dumbledore said to Snape. The Headmaster was sure that he'd keep her close as soon as he realized the other Horcruxes were gone. I mean, think about it. He hid the other ones in places, that he deemed safe or with people he believed to be trustworthy. But those pieces of his soul are gone anyway. So, who is left? Whom does he trust the most?"  
"Himself." the other four answered in unison and Harry nodded.  
"Exactly." their friend agreed. "Which means: if we get him, we also get the snake."  
Hermione hummed thoughtfully. "But he hasn't shown his face much in public, has he? And I can't help but wonder, why not? What is he afraid of? He's convinced he won the war, isn't he?  
Fred shrugged. "Maybe he isn't one for big public appearances? I wouldn't want much publicity if I had such a face. I mean honestly, missing an ear is bad enough. But missing a nose?"  
George snorted next to him. "Maybe he's working on a glamour for himself."  
At that, they couldn't help themselves and erupted into a round of laughter. It was a much-needed release of the tension that had slowly settled on all of their shoulders. Hermione giggled helplessly for several minutes but calmed herself more quickly than the others, who were still holding their bellies with laughter. She cleared her throat to focus their attention back on her and said, "Well, who was the only one that You-Know-Who feared except Dumbledore?" She waited a moment until everybody got on her train of thought. "What if he doesn't believe Harry's dead? I mean, we never found a body and neither did they. Remember how it was back when we were 11. Even though You-Know-Who was declared dead, not everybody believed in it. And he certainly wasn't. He knows that you don't necessarily have to be dead, even though you are declared so." She let the words hang in the room for a moment and saw the boys' faces sober one by one.  
"You mean he knows I'm alive?" Harry asked her urgently. She shrugged.  
"I think he at least suspects. That's why we need to be careful. He knows we are your friends and I wouldn't be surprised if they are watching us." The twins nodded solemnly and instinctively moved a bit closer to her. Hermione couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her face at such a show of protectiveness. "Eventually we can use this to our advantage. Maybe we could set a trap for him with Harry as bait. But, therefore, we'd need a really good plan, first."  
Neville and Harry nodded darkly. "We can't afford to make a mistake here. We'll all think about it. And until we have a good plan, we train. Even if he comes alone with his snake, we still have to kill them. And this will be hard enough."  
They all nodded in unison and looked at each other. "Let's make sure he doesn't kill us first," Neville said and even though Hermione expected the twins to make a funny remark about that, they didn't. Instead, they looked at each other solemnly and Hermione couldn't help but feel that they just had a silent conversation. And she couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about her.

++++++++ 

Time was running out even faster for them than they thought. It was the middle of August when they were made aware of the Ministry's newest move during breakfast. The three of them had just sat themselves down at the table and filled their cups with tea when their floo roared and Mrs Weasley and Ginny stumbled through. It took one look at their faces to recognize that something was wrong.  
"Mum, Ginny, are you alright?" Fred and George asked at the same time and leapt from their seats. Their mum smiled at them tiredly, while Ginny threw herself at George and hugged him fiercely.  
"Have you seen the Prophet this morning?" the older woman asked seriously, and Hermione shook her head. "Not yet. I assume there is bad news?"  
Their guests sighed tiredly and sat themselves down at the table. "School is starting soon," Ginny said and looked at them solemnly. "They are making us all go back, well, not all of us. Muggleborns are still forbidden to attend, but all purebloods and half-bloods without NEWTS or a regular job will be forced by law to return."  
The twins looked at her with raised brows. "You didn't plan on going back, did you?"  
Ginny smiled sadly at them. "You don't know how it's been last year. Detention with Umbridge was child's play compared to what they did to us. Neville got it the worst, but…" She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't have to. They had all heard about the dark things that had happened during that year.   
"Ginny'll still have to go back next year if she doesn't want to end in Azkaban," Molly said darkly and the twins swore loudly. "They just established a new law that leaves us no choice in the matter."  
Hermione nodded darkly. "It might get even worse this year, I fear. Last year Snape was Headmaster and he assigned most of the detentions himself to avoid the use of torture as much as possible. I don't think Lucius Malfoy will have any qualms about that."  
Ginny shuddered and tried to suppress a sob, but it escaped her lips anyway. George was on her side instantly and pulled her protectively in his arms. Fred glared into his teacup instead and looked like he was about to blow something up.   
"We can't let them hurt her." he murmured darkly, and George nodded fiercely. Hermione looked at them solemnly, but her head had already started thinking. She had to admit that it was a clever move from the ministry. By forcing everybody back to Hogwarts they could keep them under their thumbs and make sure that Harry would have difficulties to reach out to his friends. Because Ginny wouldn't be the only one who would be forced to return to the school. Ron and Luna were in the same boat.  
"Don't worry Ginny, we won't let them put a finger on you," Hermione promised before looking at the twins inquiringly. "Isn't that right, boys?"  
At that, both of them looked up to her, before a devilish grin spread on their faces. "Why do I get the idea that our Hermione's got a plan?" Fred asked towards his brother before nodding towards her encouragingly.   
George laughed. "Probably because she's got that look on her face."  
Hermione sent them a puzzled look. "Which look?"  
Fred grinned at her. "The look that tells us that the others are in big trouble."   
Hermione laughed. "They are."

++++++++

Compared to the break-in into Gringotts or their coup at the Ministry, the operation Hermione had planned out seemed almost safe. But that didn't say much of course. There were still a hundred or so things that could go horribly wrong, as Molly pointed out during one of their next meetings. But Hermione and the twins didn't let themselves be discouraged by that. In stark contrast to her past endeavours, this new plan was a group operation and not just the desperate attempt of three teenagers to do the impossible. Because, if everything went as they had planned, their targets would be quite outnumbered. The plan as easy enough: slip into Hogwarts after the welcome feast, stun and disarm Lucius Malfoy, throw him into the darkest dungeon of the castle and use the enormous stock of Polyjuice from Snape's lab to substitute him with a more suitable person. Fred and George had volunteered to do the deed, but they had agreed to take turns, so that either of them could be still regularly spotted in their shop in Diagon Alley.  
"And you're sure this will work?" they were asked more than once, but Hermione didn't seem fazed in the least and simply replied that the exact same thing had already happened during their fourth year with Mad-Eye Moody and nobody had been the wiser. This year, half of the staff would be supportive of their endeavour and ready to help out if need be. So what could possibly go wrong?

++++++++

"Merlin, Hermione, stop running a hole into the carpet," Fred complained while they waited in their living room. Harry and Neville were already there with them, as they had agreed to accompany them into Hogwarts once they activated their portkey into the Headmaster's office. Ginny, Luna, Ron and Lavender would be also back in the castle, but they were already sitting at the welcoming feast in the Great Hall.  
Hermione groaned and threw herself back onto the sofa. "I just don't know what takes him so long. The feast should be long over, and he should be back in his office by now."  
George shrugged. "Don't worry, love. Who knows what a long speech he's prepared for the students? Do you remember the year Umbridge taught at school? It was the welcome feast with the longest speech ever."  
"Too right. We should be happy they didn't bring the cow back into Hogwarts. Can you imagine one of us having to play her and sit in her pink, cat-picture-infested office?" Harry said and made a gagging noise.   
Fred grinned. "Well, you'd have to grow fond of bows, that's for sure. Otherwise, you'd try to strangle yourself with one of them by the second day."  
They all laughed, but suddenly George raised his hand and motioned towards to large sphere that was floating in the middle of the room. It showed the Headmaster's office from an angle that allowed them to watch the door and the desk at the same time.   
"He's back." George murmured, and suddenly their laughter died down and was replaced by concentrated silence.   
"Let's wait another minute and see if he's getting a visitor." Harry proposed, and they all stepped around the orb to keep an eye on their target. But the minute was over much faster than they had expected.   
"Alright boys, let's do this." Fred grinned, and Hermione couldn't help but scowl at him. Merlin, she wanted to come with them so badly. But they had argued back and forth in the last days and Hermione had finally accepted that the four of them would be enough to take down Malfoy.   
"Don't fret, Hermione," George whispered into her ear and pressed her hand. "I'll be back in no time, while the other three take their positions in the castle."  
She sighed. "I just can't help but worry about you. It's my plan after all. What if I get any of you killed or captured? I want to be there to help if things go pear-shaped."  
Fred nodded. "We understand, Hermione. And you can come at any time. Keep your eyes on the sphere and take the portkey on the table if anything goes wrong. Just please be careful."  
Hermione nodded. "That's fair enough, I guess. I hate that you won't let me come with you, but I get it. Don't worry. I'll stay put and call for help with the others in the castle first before I rush in myself."  
They grinned at her with a pleased smile before Fred extracted something from his back pocket. It was the portkey that Fred had designed like an old-fashioned golden key. "Well then, everybody ready?" The boys stepped closer to him with a silent nod. "Here we go, hold on tight." He activated the portkey with a tap of his wand. And a moment later they were gone.   
Hermione sighed tiredly. Merlin, she hated waiting. But that's exactly what she had promised to do.


	23. Learn to trust

George took one last look towards his wife before the portkey yanked him forward and dropped him right in front of the Headmaster's desk. The stunner was already on his lips, and before Malfoy even realized what happened, his body hit the floor with a satisfying thump.   
"Incarcerous," Neville skillfully cast behind him and a moment later the platinum blonde wizard was wrapped like a turkey.   
"Nice one Nev." he heard Harry murmur from behind, just as he saw his brother step forward and pluck some blonde hair from the unconscious man's head.   
"Harry?" The voice came from behind the headmaster's desk and George would have known it everywhere. "Is it really you?"  
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore." their friend greeted the portrait politely, before pulling something from behind his back and dropping it on Malfoy's captive form. The body on the floor promptly disappeared before all of their eyes.   
"Well, Severus," George heard the voice of their former headmaster again and when he finally looked at his portrait, he could see that the man had put on his disappointed-grandfather face. "I guess you have known about this?"  
The smirk that Snape send Dumbledore's way could be only described as deeply satisfied. "I'm sure you understand the need for keeping secrets, Albus."  
Merlin, he would have loved to listen in on the conversation that was surely about to follow, but unfortunately, there was still lots of work ahead of them. Fred must have thought the same, considering the feelings he detected through the bond, but his twin was already busily sipping at the little flask containing his Polyjuice. It only took about five seconds for the potion to take effect because suddenly the tall and slender form of Lucius Malfoy looked back at him.   
"Merlin, this is weird." Neville breathed behind him, before stepping towards Fred.   
Harry snorted from behind. "You haven't seen Hermione as Bellatrix, this was downright scary. Are you're sure you'll manage, Fred? Malfoy isn't the easiest guy to imitate."  
"Well, Potter," Fred drawled in a bored tone while transfiguring his clothes to an exact replica of the robes that his captive doppelganger wore. "I am quite heartened by your concern. But don't you have somewhere else to be?" George had to admit, Fred's act wasn't too bad and, if their situation had been less dangerous, George would have surely found it downright hilarious.   
"Right Lucius, sorry," George said but couldn't suppress the grin on his face. "Will you take our guest down to the dungeons, then? I'm sure the others are already waiting there for us."  
His no-longer-twin gave him an arrogant nod in return before kneeling on the floor and plucking Malfoy's cane containing the wizard's wand from under the invisibility cloak. He still used his own wand to cast a silent levitation charm to the spot where Lucius Malfoy lay on the floor though.   
"Well then, gentlemen," he said with a smile that was so totally out of character for a Malfoy that it almost hurt seeing it on his face. "After me, I guess." George nodded and cast a disillusionment spell on the three of them before following his brother to the door. They were off without another word to each other or the portraits in the room. It was time for the next part of their plan. And George sincerely hoped that it would be as successful as the first part had been.

++++++++

It didn't take Fred long to realize that he hated being Lucius Malfoy. Walking with that cane was bloody annoying, but the faces of the students he passed were ten times worse. It didn't take a genius to realize that the man was hated at the school. It was a good thing, of course, but, being the prankster who loved to make people laugh, he couldn't help but despise that he wouldn't be able to do so as long as he had to play this role.  
The walk to the dungeons was luckily very uneventful. Most of the staff and the students seemed to have retired for the night and, apart from hateful eyes, there was nothing that could have caused him any trouble. And that was more unsettling than it should have been. This was too good to be true. Things rarely went that smooth in life.  
"Good evening, Lucius." he was greeted by Minerva and Filius, as soon as he opened the door to the part of the dungeons that they had agreed to use for their endeavour. He and George had been here before, of course, but as soon as they had realized that this part of the castle contained creepy holding cells with shackles on the ceilings and walls they had decided that they definitely wouldn't like to be found here by Filch. No need to give that guy any more ideas.   
"Not Lucius," he replied with a trademark grin and saw the professors relax not a moment later.   
"Well then, welcome back to the castle Mr Weasley," Minerva said with a pleased smile. "Whichever one you are. It is hard to tell at the moment."  
Fred grinned at her boyishly. "The one with the missing ear, Professor." Invisible George snorted behind him.   
"I reckon the others are here, too?" Professor Flitwick chimed in and smiled at a spot behind him. "Very good. Then we can get our unconscious guest to the other two we already brought along." Harry must have taken the invisibility cloak from the floating body of Lucius Malfoy by then because suddenly the unconscious wizard appeared on the floor behind him.   
Fred nodded thankfully in the direction of his friends and started to move deeper into the room. There at the back were several dark and clammy holding cells, each containing a cot and a bucket. The two cells in the centre were already occupied, as they held the unconscious forms of Alecto and Amycus Carrow.  
"Still can't believe they intended to let them have free reign over the students for another year." invisible Neville murmured behind him and Fred couldn't help but agree. Luckily, Neville and Harry had volunteered to come along to the castle and impersonate the evil siblings for the days to come.  
"Did you two agree which of you will impersonate who?" He heard George's voice again while he levitated Lucius Malfoy into the cell next to the other two inhabitants.   
Harry grumbled. "I'll have to take Alecto's place, I guess. Don't fancy being a woman, mind you, but as the two of them are equally revolting it doesn't really matter. Neville doesn't have a clue about Muggles, so I might be the better suited Muggle studies teacher. Just spout some pureblooded muggle-hating nonsense in between and I'm sure nobody will know the difference."  
"You'll still have to be very careful." Professor McGonagall instructed them with a stern voice. "We have to keep this charade up until we find a way to bring the Dark Lord down. And we'll have to find a way soon, as I don't see this scheme working any longer than a few weeks. Maybe only days… Sooner or later somebody will notice."  
Fred nodded determinedly. "A few days or weeks will have to be enough, then. I'll use every spare minute I have to… prepare the castle with some much-needed enhancements. Don't worry, Professor, the traps will only activate if a Death Eater passes them."  
"Very well, Mr Weasley. I've probably never said so before but I'm really glad you are working for our side."  
Fred forced his transformed face into a grin. "Thank you, Professor. This might be the biggest compliment you've ever directed towards me. And you don't even know half of what we have in store for them."

++++++++

Hermione could have sworn she had run a hole into the carpet by now. As soon as the boys had vanished from the living room, she had started pacing. In the Headmaster's office, everything seemed to have gone according to plan, but then the four of them disappeared into the castle and she had no chance of knowing what happened from thereon. And it was driving her crazy. God, she hated this situation. She hated being forbidden to come with them, protect them. She understood of course, at least theoretically. None of them wanted to risk their unborn children's lives after all. But Hermione had never been one to sit still and just twiddle her thumbs. She had usually been in the thick of it, right at Harry's side, helping him wherever she could. Sitting here now, doing nothing, just felt wrong.  
But they would be safe, she told herself over and over again. They were four against one, after all, and had Minerva and Filius as support afterwards. So why couldn't she just stop worrying? She trusted her boys after all, didn't she?  
The plop of an arriving portkey from the hallway pulled her back into reality. Her heart made a leap in her chest, but she forced herself to wait calmly for whoever arrived at their home. It didn't take long.  
"Hey love," George greeted her a moment later and strolled casually towards her. "Were you up on your feet the whole time?"  
He looked at her inquiringly and Hermione couldn't help the wave of annoyance that hit her with his words. "Obviously," she said in a tone that would have been more suitable for Snape then for her. "You knew I wouldn't be able to sit still when the four of you were potentially in danger."  
Her husband looked at her calmly. "I know. And I'm sorry we asked this of you." George slowly moved towards her now and for a moment she felt herself stiffen, as he gently took hold of her hand.   
"I hate being left behind," she grumbled as he cautiously pulled her into his arms. "It's not just that I feel totally useless, I want to be there for you, protect you…"  
"I know, Hermione. Believe me, I understand," he said again and looked at her with large brown eyes. But it didn't help her to calm down, not in the least.  
"Do you really? Because you're not the one to be left behind." she bit out angrily and was just about to rip her hand away from his as he gripped it more firmly.  
"Not today, no," he replied carefully, and suddenly she saw something shift behind his eyes. "But I think you remember that I was in the exact same situation just a few weeks ago." It was as if he had dumped a bucket of water on top of her head. How could she have forgotten? Because he was right, she had sent him away then, had sent him away to keep him safe.   
"I'm sorry." she apologized and looked at him pleadingly. "Now I get why you've been so angry with me afterwards."   
"I know, love." he soothed while stroking her hair with his hands. "And believe me, I'd rather have you at my side. I missed you, you know?" She sighed and finally leaned herself into his chest.   
"I've missed you, too." And I miss Fred, she added silently in her head. It would be the first time one of her husbands wouldn't be at her side at night. And Hermione couldn't help but notice how wrong that felt to her.

++++++++

Fred hated being Lucius Malfoy. He had hated it the day before, but after spending the night alone in the Headmaster's quarters, he hated it even more. Merlin, he couldn't wait for this day to be over so that George could take his role for a day. But first, he had to survive three meals in the great hall where several people would certainly try to murder him with their looks and the tedious hours in his office in between. What was he supposed to do anyway? He had no idea what a Headmaster of Hogwarts did all day if he was honest with himself. He didn't have teaching duties, thank Merlin for small mercies. But he'd have to ensure that school was running smoothly if they didn't want their little scheme to be detected. Well, he'd just ask Snape or Dumbledore. They'd hopefully be inclined to help him with his job. It was for the greater good, after all.   
During breakfast, he was flanked by Minerva and Filius, which was good news for him because they were in on his secret. But they had to keep up appearances, of course, and so nothing more than a semi-polite greeting was exchanged between the three of them. But as far as he could tell, Harry and Neville, alias the Carrow siblings, weren't faring much better. He could already tell that Harry was in a horrible mood as he kept stabbing his sausage as if it had personally offended him. And as far as he could tell, the two of them got at least as many dirty looks as Fred himself. Fred had to admit the two of them got it worse. They'd have to stay in their roles without getting a break and they also could not escape the students as they had to give lectures day by day. But, well, both of them had a girlfriend in school who would be happy to have them nearby.  
This breakfast was the longest one of his life, even surpassing the ones he had with Aunt Muriel in his childhood, and that was really saying something. When it was finally over, he had to force himself not to bolt from his chair in the middle of the staff table but to get up with an air of cool indifference. He kept the charade up until he could finally close the doors of his office behind him. Just then he finally relaxed his shoulders and breathed a relaxed sigh as he leaned into the wall next to the door.  
"Well Father, this must have been a hell of a morning." the nasal voice of Malfoy's little spawn destroyed his bubble of peace and quiet. "Haven't seen you this wound up since the Dark Lord moved out of our east wing."  
"Language, Draco." the arrogant voice of Narcissa Malfoy reminded her son, just as Fred himself released a silent string of curses in his head. Merlin, he could use a visit by those two like an infection of Dragon Pox. But it wasn't like he had any choice in that matter.  
"Well, if that isn't a pleasant surprise," he said and schooled his features into something that was hopefully appropriate for meeting one's snobbish wife and son. "Don't tell me you missed me already."  
Narcissa looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Don't be obscene, Lucius. We merely wanted to see if everything was in order. Did any of the anticipated associates of Potter show up?"  
Fred didn't nod and instead raised his chin proudly. "No trace of Longbottom so far, but the Weasley spawns and the Lovegood girl were on the train yesterday."   
She nodded silently. "Very well. I guess that is all we could hope for anyway. Is there anything Draco and I can do while you are occupied here?"  
Fred groaned inwardly. Why couldn't this woman just leave? What should he say to that anyway? "No need, Narcissa. I have everything under control here."  
It must have been the wrong thing to say because suddenly the witch had her wand in hand and pointed it dangerously at his throat. "Who are you? Where is my husband?" she hissed at him dangerously, and just a moment later her son joined her with pointing his wand at him. Fred cursed inwardly and suddenly he really wished himself back at the breakfast table. But, of course, there would be no such luck for him.


	24. Shifting alliances

Hermione didn't get much rest that night, even though George had tucked her safely into his arms. Her mind simply wouldn't stop worrying about Fred, and she couldn't help being jealous of the twin bond her husbands shared. George didn't have problems sleeping at all, but Hermione was sure his sub-conscious could tell if his twin was safe. Merlin, how was she going to survive several nights like that? When had she gotten that dependent on both of their presences?  
When morning finally arrived, she pried herself from George's arms and dragged herself into the shower. This, and at least two cups of coffee, would hopefully help to get her back into shape.   
George joined her for breakfast unusually late, and just snagged himself a slice of toast before taking out his notebook and brooding over the notes he and his twin had made. More than once, Hermione had tried to join their discussions about their upcoming inventions, but she quickly had to realize that she was totally out of her depth. It was a new experience for her, and everything in her itched to ask her husbands a million questions, to be able to understand, but as they were on a tight schedule, there was no time for them to indulge her curiosity at the moment. Well, they'd have to fill her in later. Because there was no chance in hell that Hermione would miss an opportunity to learn something new and exciting.   
They didn't talk much over breakfast as both of them were deep in thought. And when they finally walked down into the shop, Hermione busied herself in the backroom, while Verity, Lee and George ran the business in the salesroom. But it was just an hour into their work when George suddenly dashed through the door his eyes wide with panic.  
"We need to go to the Headmaster's office." he urged and took out one of the key-shaped portkeys from under his colourful robes. "Fred's been found out by Malfoy and his mother."  
Hermione swore silently. "Merlin, that's bad. We have to go now. Give me just a second." She pulled a little coin, similar to the DA coins, from her pocket and tapped it with the tip of her wand before sliding it back into her pocket. "Alright, help is on the way. Let's go."  
George nodded quickly and took her arm. A moment later, they were already on the way.

++++++++

"Well, out with it." the voice of Lucius's son demanded while stepping closer to him. "Who are you?"  
Fred sighed. "I can't tell you, obviously."  
The blond man in front of him gritted his teeth. "I can get the answer from you if need be. Don't force me to do it, because I will." Fred looked at him with a raised eyebrow and schooled his features back into something that would be more fitting for his current face. It wouldn't do to betray his identity now by acting anything like his old self. For that, he was too recognizable.   
"Then do it, boy," he said in an imitation of Lucius Malfoy and raised his chin. But the attack never came. Instead, Narcissa took her son's wand hand and lowered it somewhat. "Draco, stop," she whispered urgently and looked at him with a fearful gaze. "Tell me, is my husband still alive?"  
Fred winced internally. It was the first time somebody implied that he might be capable of murder and he shuddered. But it was a war, he realized, and maybe he would have to kill somebody soon. "Your husband is alive and well," he confirmed and looked her into the eyes to make her see his sincerity.   
She nodded with a relieved sigh. "Thank you."  
He didn't know what to say to that nor what to do, but he was released from that decision as the tell-tale plop of one of his portkeys brought George and Hermione into the office. His attackers didn't even have the time to turn around before the two of them lost their wands to a silent "Expelliarmus."  
"What the…" Draco started and stared open-mouthed at the two newcomers. "Granger? Of course, it is you. It is always you when there's trouble, isn't it?"   
Hermione cast a silent incarcerous on the two of them before she smiled dangerously. "It's Weasley now, actually, thanks to the new marriage law," she stated nonchalantly before turning around to George. "What shall we do with them? Can't just lock them away with the others. I guess the two of them would be missed sooner or later."  
George shrugged. "Well, luckily you are quite adept with memory charms. Maybe you should implant some modified memories that will keep them away for some time."  
"We're right here, you know?" Malfoy sneered at them, but his mum cast him a disapproving look before looking at them with wide eyes. "Others? There are others than my husband?" She asked and tried to study them. Fred couldn't resist and smiled at her dangerously. But the effect was somewhat ruined as the door to the office burst open and Harry and Neville entered in the disguise of the Carrows. It took them only a moment to assess the situation and point their wands at the intruders. And Fred noted with a grin that even Malfoy had lost his cool, sneering expression and looked somewhat panicked.   
"Any problems, Headmaster?" Neville asked in a cool voice that was so very much unlike him. "Did these two give you any problems?"  
Fred grinned. "We were just discussing how to proceed with them," he explained with a cool sneer which made Draco flinch from him. But Mrs. Malfoy looked at them with a collected, calculating gaze.   
"Let us help you," she said calmly but without desperation. "My son and I have stopped caring for the ways of the Dark Lord months ago."  
Hermione looked at her with analysing eyes. "Why is that, suddenly? Your family has supported him for who knows how many years? Why should we suddenly trust you?"  
Mrs Malfoy sighed tiredly. "He's been living with us for months and months. He killed and tortured in our drawing room and no one was safe from his insanity, not even his own people. I stopped counting how many times I and my family have been tortured, but it's a miracle I have still more sanity left then my sister Bella."  
George looked at her with hard eyes. "And now what? You have come to see the error of your ways and want to join the Weasleys as blood traitors? You want to fight him even if there is a good chance that it will get you killed or worse?" He snorted humourlessly. "I'm sorry if I have some problems believing you." He saw Harry and Neville nod at his words.  
Draco's eyes drifted from his mother to the other people in the room. "Of course you doubt our intentions, otherwise you'd be bloody idiots," he said evenly. "And even if my mother does have a point by saying that we no longer actively support… the Dark Lord… I can see that joining you could get us killed very fast." His eyes finally stayed at his mother and looked at her inquiringly. "Mother, are you sure that this is what you want to do?"  
Fred followed their conversation with calculating eyes and so he didn't miss the quick nod that Mrs Malfoy was giving her son. "I am quite sure, yes. And I am ready to swear an Unbreakable Vow to you, that I will not betray you and all people that follow your course in any way."  
At Draco gasped. "Mother, you can't be serious." he hissed, but she silenced him with her hand. "I am not finished, Draco." With that, she moved her gaze towards Hermione and studied her intensely. "Me and my son will not work in any way against you and we will try to help you in any way we can. In exchange for that, I want to see my husband and I want your promise that you will not harm him or anybody else from my family." Hermione nodded but Mrs Malfoy wasn't finished with her little speech and said, "Furthermore, I want your promise that if we somehow win this war, you and your little friends will testify our involvement in the fight and our support of the side of the light, should we be on trial later on."  
Hermione's eyes drifted towards her friends to seek out their opinion on the matter. But as her eyes landed on Harry, she gasped and motioned towards him urgently. As soon as Fred turned around to him, he could see the problem. The Polyjuice must have worn off, as he had started to shift back in front of their eyes. Fred cursed.   
"Potter?" he heard Draco's shocked exclamation from the floor and the gasp from his mother behind him. "Merlin, it is you, isn't it?"   
Harry's eyes were wide with panic as he searched his robes for his bottle of Polyjuice. As he finally found it and gulped the liquid down, it was too late to conceal his true identity to the two Malfoys.  
"Well, this totally changes things," Malfoy said with an air of arrogance from the floor. "I'll make an Unbreakable Vow with you too, and work with you to bring the Dark Lord down. This bastard has ruled my life long enough and if you're my chance to finally be free, then so be it."  
Hermione's eyes darted from one to the other, but before she said anything, she turned around to the portraits on the wall. She looked at them one by one until her eyes finally rested on the scowling figure of a greasy-haired Potions Master. "What do you say, Professor, can we trust them?" she asked calmly. "You know them much better than we do, so I would like your opinion on this."  
Snape smiled with glinting eyes and nodded. Then he fixed his dark eyes on the Malfoys. Fred could have sworn that he was using Occlumency on them but, as he was just a portrait, that was of course impossible. Still, he stared at them for some silent moments while stroking his chin before he spoke. "Your chances to end this war with a satisfying outcome would greatly improve with them joining your ranks," he stated in an almost bored tone. Nonetheless, Fred had the impression that he was quite pleased with being asked for his opinion. "As selflessness is not an attribute that can be easily applied to the Malfoys, you can trust that they want something from you as a trade-off. As Narcissa has kindly let you know what will be expected in return and I have the impression that her offer is genuine, I think it is safe for you to take her up on it. But, of course, the signing of your special contract or the use of an Unbreakable Vow is very much advisable."  
Hermione listened to Snape attentively and nodded. "Very well," she said and with a flick of her wand, their former contract appeared in front of her. "Do all of you agree with the professor on this?"  
Fred stroked his chin for a second, but finally, he nodded. "Alright. If they sign the contract then there should be no danger for us." The others nodded in agreement. "And the more of us, the better."  
Hermione studied their expressions a moment longer before she lifted her wand once again and the ropes that bound the Malfoys disappeared. Then she levitated the contract in front of them and conjured a quill and ink. "Read it carefully before you sign. And discuss it if you need to. Those two," she motioned towards Harry and Neville, "should leave for their lessons now as we don't want to draw any more suspicions. But the three of us have some more time to answer your questions if need be."   
Harry and Neville left silently with a nod in their direction, just as the Malfoys started reading. It only took them some minutes before Draco looked at them with raised eyebrows. "Blood magic? I must say I'm impressed."  
Hermione smiled amusedly in his direction. "Well, I am glad you approve, as several other people had their doubts about it." Her eyes moved towards Dumbledore's portrait that watched them with curiosity and concentration. Luckily, it kept silent on the matter, even though Fred was almost sure that the old man would love to force his opinion upon them. Malfoy, who must have followed his view, gave an understanding snort but didn't say anything else on the matter. He kept on reading for several more minutes before he said, "I imagine you want me to sign before returning my wand to me."   
Hermione nodded curtly and conjured a needle with her wand, which she offered to the young wizard. Malfoy took it from her without giving his feelings away and spilt a drop of his blood on the contract a moment later. His mother followed his actions a few seconds later.  
"Very well." Hermione murmured and silently cast the spell to seal the contract, before giving a sigh of relief. "I am glad this matter is sealed."  
They all nodded in agreement. "I'm sure you want to see Lucius Malfoy as soon as possible. We'll be able to arrange something in the next hours. Would you agree to come back later?"  
At that, Draco smiled at her wolfishly. "I'd rather like to stay a bit longer, as I have a proposal I'd like to discuss with you."  
George groaned. "Why am I not surprised?"   
Snape's portrait behind him snorted. "I think, Mr Weasley, that young Mr Malfoy here will surprise you quite a lot with what he has to say. It has its merits having a Slytherin in your team." At that, Malfoy snorted. And Fred had to admit that Snape was right. Malfoy really did surprise him with the proposal he made.

++++++++  
Hermione, Fred and George tumbled into their living room tiredly. It was already late afternoon and it had been a long and exhausting day for all of them.   
"Blimney, I still can't believe we agreed that Malfoy takes the place as Headmaster of the school. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to get rid of the job, but…" Fred started, but then he didn't know how to finish his sentence.   
George shrugged. "Hermione's contract is air-tight. He cannot work against us and I really got the feeling that he wants to bring the bastard down as much as we do."  
Hermione nodded solemnly. "He's not the boy we knew back in school. The last two years have changed him. When we were caught by the snatchers in spring and brought to his manor, it was obvious that he knew who we were. But he didn't give us away. Why would he have tried to protect us if he still worked for the Dark Lord?"  
The twins agreed with a hum and Hermione continued, "And it makes much more sense if he plays his father. He knows him much better than we do. And he has the Dark Mark."  
George nodded darkly. "I still can't believe they made him take it as punishment for his father's mistakes in the Department of Mysteries. But, well, it kind of fits in the picture."  
"Yeah." Fred agreed and looked at them full of concern. "We are really doing this. In two days, everything will be over, one way or the other. Are we really prepared? Maybe we should train a bit longer or invent some more stuff."  
Hermione sighed and looked at her husbands. "The longer we wait, the stronger the Dark Lord gets. And we don't know how long we can keep our whereabouts at Hogwarts a secret. At the moment, the castle is more or less ours, but we all know it will only be a temporary thing. You-Know-Who just needs to call for the Carrows. Harry and Neville wouldn't even know they were discovered, as they don't have the Dark Mark. I can't believe it took Malfoy to point us to this error in our plan."  
George shrugged. "It's a good thing we have him on our side. Now we finally have a way to trap old Voldisnort. The opportunity is too good to let it go."   
"I know," Fred grumbled and threw himself on the sofa. "But I don't have to like it."

++++++++

Hermione couldn't help the restlessness that was taking hold of her during the next day. Working at the twin's shop was almost torturous for her and the time simply didn't want to move forward. In her head, she was going through hexes, curses and shielding techniques while her hands moved boxes and restocked the shelves with newly created joke products. But she was sure the twins weren't doing much better.   
Yesterday had been a silent evening for them. They went to bed early only to curl around each other desperately. They simply held each other for a long time, none of them daring to say what they all thought: it could be their last days together, their last days alive. But no words were needed on that matter, as they all knew and felt the same. Today was even worse for Hermione. She was determined to come with them, to do her part, but she knew that the boys wanted her safe. Still, she didn't want to argue with them, didn't want to fight when these were possibly the last hours they had together. It wasn't unlikely that at least one of them would die during the battle. Voldemort was a dangerous wizard after all and even if they might be able to take him down in the end, nobody knew at what cost.   
When closing time was finally there, Hermione was so wound up that she wasn't sure if she would be able to have a normal conversation over dinner. After rolling possible arguments around in her head, she wasn't even sure what to say to the twins on the matter any longer.   
"We know that you want to come with us tomorrow," George said as soon as they had closed the door to their flat behind them in the evening.   
"We understand your need to be there with us and to fight against him and we will not stand in your way or hold you back if you want to go," Fred added, and his voice sounded so sad and serious like Hermione had never heard it before.   
"Thank you," she said and looked at them with moist eyes.   
"Fred and I have discussed possible ways for you to participate in the fight without putting yourself in immediate danger and we would like to give you something." George continued and pulled a simple silver necklace from under his robes. "We used the knowledge we gained about the twin bond during our lessons with Snape and created this. The pendant here will enable you to be part of our bond, as long as it touches your skin. You'll be able to sense our feelings and, if necessary, you just have to say our names with the clear intention to get to us, and the integrated portkey will do the rest. It does also work the other way around which means that you can always get backup within seconds if things go badly."   
Hermione looked at them with a stunned expression. "How long did you work on this?" she asked and marvelled at the brilliance and the beauty of their work. Those twins really were exceptional wizards.   
Fred grinned at her shyly. "We started working on it after you were taken to the Ministry. The minutes we spent waiting for you without being able to help you were some of the longest in our lives. And we promised each other that we would find a way to reach you, no matter where you are. Is this alright? Do you like it?"  
Hermione beamed at them before she threw herself into their arms. "I love it! It's extraordinary and brilliant and … you don't know how much this means to me!"  
George smiled happily at her. "Do you want to try it? I mean, we are pretty sure it works but…"  
He couldn't finish the sentence because Hermione started nodding impatiently while looking at him with pleading eyes. And so he broke the sentence off with a laugh and held the necklace towards her. "Well, come on then. Fred? Would you hold Hermione's hair up?"  
Fred was behind her immediately and a moment later she could feel his big hands in her hair. He ran his fingers gently through her thick brown curls before holding them up expertly. And as soon as her neck was exposed to him, she could feel his breath tickling her from behind and shivered.  
The necklace wasn't heavy at all on her neck and felt warm against her skin. But apart from a slight tingling sensation when the pendant touched her skin for the first time, Hermione couldn't feel any difference. She looked at the twins questioningly. "Shouldn't I be able to feel something now?" she asked them curiously.   
George smiled at her. "You will only be able to feel strong emotions, like Fred and I do. Believe me, anything else would simply drive you mad." At that, he stepped closer to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Hermione knew instantly what he was about to do and moved towards him eagerly. Then their lips locked in a passionate kiss and her world exploded into colours. She had never felt anything like it before because suddenly she was hit with a wave of love, adoration and need that robbed her breath. And she knew instantly that it wasn't her feelings she was experiencing, but theirs. It was like a drug, and for a moment she was almost unable to keep herself upright.  
"Merlin." she moaned into George's mouth before pulling him even closer. Just then, she could suddenly feel Fred's lips on her neck, as his mouth found the sensitive spot just below her ear. It was almost too much.  
"Gods Hermione, can you feel that?" Fred panted behind her and pulled her against his chest. She nodded dazedly, before ending the kiss.   
"Yeah," she said because she could. Hermione felt everything and it was wonderful. "I can feel you," she said in awe, before kissing George once again. Then she turned around to his twin and pulled him into another heated kiss, "and you." That was all that was said for a very long time, as words were no longer necessary between them. Hermione knew what they wanted, could feel their need for her. And how could she send one of them away, when all she wanted was having them close? The answer was: she couldn't. Instead, the three of them stumbled into their bedroom in a tangle of limbs and lips and clothes. It wasn't until morning before one of them emerged from the bedroom again. And when he did, it was with a satisfied, dazed look on his face. 

++++++++


	25. Burn with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry but there's a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. You might want to wait for the next one until you read it.

Fred had never felt so ambivalent in his life as when he ported into the Headmaster's office around late afternoon the next day. The last hours had been the most intense and wonderful hours of his life and he was still reliving them in his head over and over again. But a few moments earlier he had said his goodbyes to his wife, and he was not sure if he would ever see her again.   
Malfoy waited for them at his desk and looked at them with an arrogance that made the impression of him being his father perfect. If Fred hadn't known that it was, in fact, Draco on the chair, he would have been easily fooled.  
"Good evening Headmaster," he greeted the wizard with a grin and a bow. "I hope you like the office better than I did."  
Draco raised his brows questioningly. "Can't imagine why you didn't like it. All this attention from the staff and the kids. It's positively delightful," the young wizard stated, and his voice was dripping with sarcasm.   
Fred snorted. "Yeah, exactly. Could you talk to McGonagall, Flitwick, Harry and Neville? We can't duel the Dark Lord in the corridors. It would be too dangerous for the kids. And we can't evacuate, as it would easily give us away."  
Malfoy nodded. "Potter and I thought we should just bring him up here. The office is well warded and far enough away from all the common rooms. And you can be sure that all of the students will scatter away as soon as they see me with him in school. Most of them aren't complete morons, after all."  
Snape's portrait behind him snorted but didn't comment otherwise.   
"Isn't this place a bit too small for a duel?" George asked behind him with a frown. "What if we damage some of the portraits or something else? We could totally wreck the place."  
The portrait of 'Professor Dumbledore looked at him with twinkling eyes. "Don't worry Mr Weasley. Those frames are literally indestructible, much to some people's annoyance. And never forget that duelling in a room like this can have its merits. There is enough cover around here to duck the most damaging curses and you can be assured that Tom is not a welcome person in these walls. The castle's magic knows that and might act accordingly."  
Fred agreed. "Alright. George and I will accompany you under Harry's cloak. If anything goes wrong, we don't want you to be without support. Harry and Neville will wait here for us."  
Malfoy nodded. "Minerva and Flitwick will keep an eye on us as well and join us, if possible, in the fight as soon as it breaks out. Did your wife agree with the task we discussed for her?"  
George hummed in agreement. "She wasn't too happy about the idea of playing prison guard for your father and the others. But I think she was glad that she could be in the castle at all and join us in the fight, should things go wrong."   
"My mother will join her in the dungeons," Draco added with a nod. "She wasn't too thrilled on the prospect either, but as she is happy to be with my father for the time being, she didn't make too much fuss."   
"I guess then all is set. Gentlemen, good luck." With that, Fred took the invisibility cloak from under his robes and put it over George and himself. Draco stared at the spot where they stood just a moment earlier and nodded.  
"Alright, let's end this." 

++++++++

Malfoy strode across the grounds with an arrogance that must have been a special Malfoy family trait. It was almost painful for George to watch but it had the desired effect. No one dared to approach him on his way down to the Hogwarts gate and gave him a wide berth instead, which was really useful as they didn't have to avoid running into somebody while hidden under the cloak. Because moving under the damn thing as a duo without tripping over each other's feet was almost impossible, even for magical twins. Hopefully, they wouldn't be to slow on the way back to the office.   
"Stay behind," Malfoy hissed in their direction before he stepped to the gate. Then, with one last look in their direction, he took his father's wand and pressed it on his left forearm. Fred held his breath, but for a moment nothing happened. He felt his brother shiver next to him with anticipation. But before he could even send a calming thought through the bond, the sound of apparation caught his attention and a dark-clad figure appeared in the grass accompanied by a massive brown snake. Fred hadn't seen the Dark Lord during the battle of Hogwarts but there was no doubt that it was him. His skin was almost unnaturally white and seemed paper-thin so that the blood vessels below were clearly visible. His head was bald and at the place where the nose should have been in his face, there were only two long slits that enabled him to breathe. But the most unsettling were his red, snake-like eyes that scanned the area with such a predatory gaze that Fred was afraid to be spotted even when they were hidden by the cloak.   
"Luciusssss," they heard him hiss into Malfoys direction. "We hope you have a good reason to call me here. You know that I can be most displeased to be bothered with trifles."  
Malfoy sunk to his knees devotedly and bowed his head. "I have cause to believe that you will be most pleased with me, my Lord. I had the good fortune to get hold of Potter when he tried to sneak into the castle. My Lord was very wise to send his little blood traitor allies back to Hogwarts."  
For a moment, Voldemort didn't react at all but stared at the kneeling Malfoy before him with calculating eyes. Fred hoped feverishly that he wouldn't try to use Occlumency on him, as he didn't know how versed Malfoy was in the discipline. "Very well," he finally said after what seemed like an eternity. "Where did you store this little present for me, my faithful servant?"  
"He's unconscious in my new chambers. I left Alecto and Amycus with him, but I doubt the boy will wake up in the next hours. I was quite… thorough."  
"Take me to him, Luciusssss…" Voldemort hissed again and petted his snake's head affectionally.   
Draco nodded and bowed this head again before he got up from the ground and slowly strode in the direction of the castle. The Dark Lord followed him with a calm grace, Nagini at his side, and Fred swallowed heavily. Now there was no way back. They'd have to go through with this, no matter what happened. 

++++++++

Hermione hated the dungeons, and being forced to watch three unconscious Death Eaters with none other than Narcissa Malfoy wasn't really improving her mood. At least she knew that the boys were fine, as her new necklace supplied her with glimpses of Voldemort, the snake and Malfoy as they strode towards the castle. Everything was going according to plan, and for Hermione, it almost felt too good to be true. She couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong, even if she couldn't exactly place it. But she held herself upright and alert and watched the room with her wand in hand. Just as the boys reached the corridor to the Headmaster's office, she heard it, an almost silent shushing noise that was creeping nearer and nearer. Hermione would have missed it if she wasn't on high alert, and a look towards Mrs Malfoy showed her that the woman didn't find anything out of order. But Hermione had a sinking feeling what it was, and she couldn't help the goosebumps spreading on her skin.   
"Watch out," she whispered to the other witch, before pointing her wand in the direction of the noise. It wasn't a moment too late as Mrs Malfoy had just raised her wand when a gigantic snake slid around the corner into the room. Hermione didn't wait for a signal before she fired the first curse. She and Snape had discussed the best strategies for battling the snake just a few weeks ago, and so the cutting curse and Snape's Septumsempra flew easily from her lips. But the snake was an agile and fearless beast and leapt towards them after the first curse missed its target and the second one connected with her thick skin. It wasn't of any use though, as the Snake didn't even seem bothered by it and just moved towards them with predatory determination. Hermione rushed backwards, casting a shield on herself as she moved. But Narcissa stood her ground fiercely and whipped her wand in the direction of the beast, and a chain of green flames erupted from the tip that connected with the long body on the ground. The snake hissed dangerously before she turned around to the older witch and attacked. She leapt from the ground without even a second of forewarning and just as Mrs Malfoy stumbled backwards, the strong jaws of the beast closed around her leg. It was over in seconds. Narcissa fell on the ground like a puppet, her eyes wide with pain and terror before her body started convulsing violently on the floor. But Hermione couldn't help her, couldn't do anything, as the snake had already turned around to her in the knowledge that her other prey wouldn't go anywhere anytime soon. Hermione had to bring the beast down as fast as possible, but there didn't seem to be much that would be able to harm this vessel of the Horcrux. Hermione didn't know if the Dark Lord had cast additional protections on it or if the dark ritual which created such a thing made it almost indestructible, to begin with, but her gut told her that she was running out of options. Would the twins be able to sense that something was wrong and come to her aid? Or were they already fighting themselves? Hermione didn't know and she didn't have the focus to find out through the bond. She needed her full concentration for the fight at hand.   
A flick of her wand summoned three hand-sized arrows filled with basilisk venom. She and the twins had prepared them weeks ago with the purpose of taking the last Horcrux down. Now it was time to test their effectivity. Hermione sliced her wand through the air once more and banned the arrow towards the snake. Two of them hit the beast on the back and even stuck to his skin, but other than that, nothing seemed to happen as the snake didn't show the slightest reaction.   
There was only one way to end this, Hermione decided, with a regretting look towards the dying woman next to her and the unconscious inhabitants of the cells. But there was nothing else she could do.  
"I'm sorry," she said towards the other inhabitants of the room before she took the necklace and ripped it from her throat. She set her mouth into a hard line as the silver chain fell from her fingers and clattered to the ground next to her feet. And a second later the first spark of Fiendfire left the tip of her wand. 

++++++++

George eyed the snake in front of them with distrust as it slithered across the ground. The animal seemed to be protected by something like a violet globe that surrounded it from every direction. There was no saying how they would be able to get through that thing, but they would have to try anyway. And he had the sinking feeling that it would be anything but easy.  
Voldemort moved into the castle with silent grace and George could have sworn that the man was floating and not walking on his own two feet. But it was hard to say with those long black robes. The halls of the castle seemed totally deserted but he knew that this couldn't be the case. Their family and the professors would be nearby and keep watch over them, even if George wasn't able to see them. But the knowledge that there were others that would join them in the fight was somewhat relieving.   
They arrived at the entrance to the Headmaster's office all too soon and Morty the gargoyle opened the way for them without waiting for a password. He also nodded at them silently and let them through before closing the passage right behind them.   
As Malfoy had promised, Harry was on the floor of the Headmaster's office and looked dead to the world. Next to him were the doppelgängers of the Carrow twins and George couldn't help but wonder who had taken Harry's place as the ugly Death Eater witch.   
"Well, this is certainly a very nice trap you prepared here, Draco," the Dark Lord said in an almost bored tone and studied the scene in front of him. "I would certainly be inclined to forgive you your impertinence and grant you a painless death just for the fact that you really brought me young Harry Potter. Even though the boy is far from being unconscious, I fear."   
At that, Harry leapt to his feet and stared at his greatest enemy with hard green eyes. "Hello Tom, it's so nice you came looking for me," he said in an almost cheerful tone that George could only admire. Well, the boy had fought the wizard more than once and lived, but that was not something he could say for himself. "Say, what gave us away?"  
At that, Voldemort gave a cold humourless laugh. "I can always tell who of my marked servants is calling me," he supplied with an almost amused grin. "Even though the servant in question is currently under the influence of Polyjuice." George cursed inwardly. The bastard must have kept this bit of information a secret, as Snape would surely have hinted to the error in their plan otherwise.   
But Harry didn't even seem surprised and just nodded calmly. "I see. But you came anyway, and you brought your little pet. You must be very sure of yourself."  
"I could say the same for you, Potter. But know that I will not be beaten by a hand full of school-boys!" With that, the wizard leapt into action. Nightmarish, dementor-like creatures erupted from his wand and flew towards Harry and the others, who tried to shoot them down with stunners and cutting curses. But the other Carrow sibling flicked its wand in their direction and a moment later four little white mice fell to the floor instead. And George knew instantly that it was Minerva who was fighting at their side. He didn't wait for Voldemort's next move and emerged from under the invisibility cloak to throw a hand full of small glass beads on the floor. For a moment nothing happened, but then an animated copy of himself appeared on each spot and pointed its wand on Riddle. At the same moment, he ported himself into Riddle's back and shot an array of electrical bolts towards the wizard. They impacted with his back with a fizzing sound, but nothing else happened. Shouldn't these things just stop his heart? Merlin, what if the bastard didn't have one, to begin with?   
"Very amusing," their enemy commented before summoning a violent storm that threw him and the others off their feet and banished his animated copies at the same time. Damn. George groaned on the floor but scrambled back to his feet as fast as he could. But Voldemort was staring at them with a gleeful smirk.   
"Where's the snake?" Neville asked behind him with something like panic.  
"You mean the nice little illusion I let myself follow around?" the dark wizard asked while shooting a purple curse towards Neville, which ripped him from his feet and left him unconscious at the floor. "Did you really think I would bring her here with me into a trap? Well, I must disappoint you. Nagini is playing downstairs and found herself a nice little mudblood snack. I'm really sorry for your mother Draco, but I think she might have gotten in the way."  
George's body froze to ice at these words, while his heart thrummed violently in his chest. "Hermione!" he shouted and threw a modified cutting curse towards the wizard, but the curse was blocked with a bored flicker of Riddle's wrist. It was a nightmare. His wife needed him, but they had no chance to get to her as the fight with Voldemort himself needed their full attention. The next minutes flew by in a haste of shielding spells and curses that came from all directions. His cry for Hermione had broken all their resolve and everyone attacked at once. He couldn't have named all the spells that were cast, but somehow they had managed the impossible because suddenly the dark wizard stumbled and looked at them with wide eyes. That was all invitation Harry needed. In a flurry of motion, his friend was suddenly behind Voldemort and a large Basilisk tooth gleamed in his hand. "That is for my parents, you bastard," he shouted before he slammed it down into the neck of his enemy. It was an unholy scream that filled the room, as ink-black blood oozed from the wound while smoke poured from the wizard's eyes and mouth. It lasted only a second before it was all over, and a pile of black clothes covered in the thick black liquid was all that remained of him-who-would-never-again-be-feared.  
"We did it." George gasped just as his knees gave out and he slid to the floor. "We got him."  
But Fred was already on his way to the door. "The snake!" he shouted before he ripped the door open and ran outside. And then it hit George like a Bludger into the stomach. He could no longer feel his wife. Where her presence had been in his head, strong and calming, was now nothing but emptiness. He staggered to his feet with a tired groan and rushed to the door. "Somebody stay with Neville and get him to the infirmary." he shouted before stumbling through the doorframe. "The rest of you follow me. We need to get to the dungeons." And George feverishly prayed that they wouldn't be too late.

++++++++  
Battling Voldemort's snake with Fiendfire was an entirely different thing than burning Bellatrix' dead body with the spell. Where the latter lay unmoving in front of her, the snake was determined to kill her before the flames could even touch it. Using the spell in small doses was completely useless, as the snake simply moved aside or dodged her spells like it was driven by a human mind. Knowing that behind these yellow eyes lured the mind of the evilest wizard in existence was nothing short of terrifying. But Hermione would be damned if she wouldn't at least drag the damn beast down with her.   
The decision was made in a split second. It was a ruthless move, but it was the only thing she could think of. Hermione whipped her wand through the air and a moment later a wall of Fiendfire grew around the snake. It was taking all of her energy to control the flames and stop them from breaking free, but it seemed to be working. The snake hissed furiously inside of his prison as the walls of flames crawled closer and closer. With a last act of power, Hermione willed the walls of Fiendfire to tighten further, and finally the Horcrux gave a shriek of rage and pain before lighting up like a torch. Hermione quenched the flame walls immediately, but it was already too late because there was nothing she could do about the winding and burning snake on the ground that threw the sparks of Fiendfire across the room like candy. It was a matter of seconds before even the walls had caught fire and the floor around her was going up in flames.   
"That's it," Hermione realized with horror, and with a last act of desperation she tried to crush the flames with her magic, but it was all for nought. As the last sparks of her magic left through her wand, she could feel the blackness take hold of her mind and pull her down as her magical core bled out. "The boys will be so sad," was the last thing that came to her mind, as her body hit the floor. And somewhere far away, she could hear the cry of a phoenix.

++++++++


	26. From the ashes

When Fred finally arrived at the doors to the dungeons, the hallways were already full of people. Hordes of students in green and yellow colours hurried after their prefects upstairs in something that looked very much like an evacuation. And just as Fred rushed around another corner, he could see the reason why. From the door that led to the part of the dungeons they had used as a prison, licked dangerous red flames and Fred instantly knew what must have happened.   
"Hermione!" he cried and tried to rush into the rooms, but his body was caught by a strong binding spell that held him back. A moment later, the door in front of him was sealed with a blue barrier after being banged closed.  
"You can't go inside." the voice of Professor Flitwick squeaked behind him, as he cast layer after layer of protective runes on the door. "The room is full of Fiendfire. You'd be dead after two meters."   
"No." Fred sobbed and tried to fight his restraints, but it was of no use. Whatever Flitwick had cast on him didn't budge. "Please, Professor," he begged, but he knew it was too late. The door in front of him glowed in blue light before it simply disappeared with a hiss of extinguished flames and a wall of stone appeared in its place. "No, please no," he murmured in an unbelieving voice as tears streamed down his face. His chest hurt and felt so tight like it was about to squish his heart until it wouldn't be able to beat at all. At the same time, he just felt empty. Where an hour ago had still been Hermione's presence inside of him, now was only emptiness. And it hurt because he knew that the same spot would stay empty forever. It was her spot in his heart and nobody would be able to fill it ever again.   
That was the moment when the others burst behind him into the corridor. In an instant, George was on his knees next to him on the floor and held his shoulders. "Let him go, Professor," he said in a calm voice, even though the tears were streaming down his face, too. His brother didn't need to ask questions, he knew everything he needed to know through the bond. Professor Flitwick must have complied to George's wishes, because a moment later Fred was free, and his body sagged forward into the arms of his brother.   
"She can't be dead," he murmured into his shoulder and looked at his brother for confirmation. But George looked back at him with sad eyes.   
"Hermione is a tough witch." Harry murmured behind them. "If anybody could survive an encounter with the bloody snake and live, it's her. Maybe she found a way out." The voice of their friend sounded so sure and strong that he, too, almost believed it. Fred was just about to reply something as Minerva's Patronus burst next to him through the wall.   
"Come up to the infirmary at once," it commanded in a stern voice. "Hermione is upstairs, but you should see her at once." With that, the cat dissolved into fog and disappeared. For a moment nobody moved, and Fred and George just stared at each other with wide eyes.  
"What are you waiting for? Move!" rang Harry's urgent voice behind them and it was enough to snap them from their stupor. George hastily rose to his feet and pulled Fred up with him. He nodded gratefully towards his brother and gripped his hand, while his heart fluttered nervously in his chest. Hermione was in the infirmary? Was she still alive? How did she get out? Fred didn't know but he had to find out immediately. And so he followed his twin who ran ahead of him like his life depended on it. Hermione needed them. And Fred would be damned if he wouldn't be there for her.

++++++++

Hermione felt horrible. Her body was numb and itchy at the same time and her head was filled with a constant pounding and buzzing that made it impossible to hear anything else. Her mouth felt dry and tasted like something had died on her tongue which lay heavy in her mouth. God, was this how it felt to be dead? Wasn't it supposed to be pleasant and peaceful and not just painful and loud? Maybe she wasn't dead after all, not yet, and this is how it felt to die. This was a possibility, a logical one at that. Dying wasn't supposed to be pleasant, was it? But Hermione realized that she didn't want to die, not when this ruddy snake was finally out of the picture. She wanted to live, see her twins again and finally get to know the babies that were growing inside of her. Yes, Hermione Weasley wanted to live – and live she would. That much she promised herself. This was just another battle she had to fight, and Hermione was determined to win. 

++++++++

The picture that awaited them in the infirmary would haunt George's nightmares for weeks. Hermione's body was on the bed, but if George hadn't known that it must have been his wife, he wouldn't have recognized her. The body on the bed was covered in white bandages almost from head to toe and lied on the bed so still that it was impossible to tell if it was still alive. It somehow looked like a mummy resting in her tomb, but George immediately shooed the picture away. He didn't want to think of Hermione as a mummified, dead person. No.  
Madam Pomfrey and Minerva dashed around the bed like a well-trained team and for a moment George wondered how often they had worked together like this during the last war. The medi-witch cast spell after spell and monitored the patient with her wand, while their former Transfiguration Professor juggled a tray full of potions that she administered with a security that could only be obtained by practice.   
"You're here, finally," the old professor shouted in their direction and waved them closer. "We'll need as many hands as we can get. Grab some of these potion bottles and put them on the bandages so that they are soaked with it. It will help with the recovery of the skin."  
His stomach lurched, but he complied anyway. Recovery of skin? Merlin! Don't think about it, just do it, he told himself over and over again as his hands moved on autopilot. The potion in his hands was a clear green substance than reeked of mint and cleaning detergent. It started to smoke as soon as it came in contact with the bandages on Hermione's skin. Was it supposed to be doing that? Probably, as neither Madame Pomfrey nor Minerva commented on it.   
George wasn't sure if he was working for minutes or hours, but when the last bottle of green liquid was finally poured onto the bandages it was still dark outside. But the room around him was still filled with the buzz of several voices and, as George looked up, he could see his mother and Ron at his side.   
"Mum?" he asked in a small voice that sounded like he was six again and Fred had fallen from Bill's broom in the garden. His brother had to be taken to St Mungo's, away from him, and George had never before felt so small and lost in his life.   
"It will be alright, George. Hermione is a strong woman; she will pull through," she soothed him and took him into her arms. "We've done everything we could for her. Now we have to wait." He nodded mutely and let himself sink into the stiff chair at his wife's bedside. Fred was already sitting at a chair on her other side and looked at her with an empty gaze.   
"Does anybody know what happened? How did she get out?" he asked again and looked at the others in the room. It was Harry, who was standing behind him, that gave the answer. "Fawkes got her out. He appeared with her in the infirmary shortly after the Professor arrived with Neville. He must have felt that something was wrong and luckily phoenixes are creatures of fire. If it wasn't for him…" Minerva nodded with an unreadable expression and George swallowed heavily. "And the others? What about Mrs Malfoy and…" he couldn't finish the sentence.  
"Dead," Malfoy replied from the back of the room. He was sitting in a dark corner and as George looked up and studied the young wizard's expression, his eyes were hollow and empty. "As far as we know my mother fell victim to the snake, and my father and the Carrows were unconscious when the fire broke out. But we'll have to wait for your wife to wake up and confirm that theory."  
George nodded mutely. "How long will it take her to wake up? She will wake up, won't she?"   
Madam Pomfrey looked at him for a long moment. "There is no saying. It could be days or weeks. Her magical core is totally exhausted, and I don't know if her body will have enough energy to heal considering the extent of her injuries. Being burned like that would be bad enough on its own, but with the drain of the magical core and the pregnancy on top, there is no saying if she can pull through. I'm sorry."  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Is there nothing we could do? Nothing at all?"  
"The only way to help her would be to supply her with magical energy. But there is no known way of doing it. So if you can't work any miracles and supply her with that, then there is nothing that can be done."  
George looked at his brother and suddenly an idea bloomed in his head. Maybe if they could re-establish the mental connection between the three of them. All they would need was another pendant and a bit of naked skin from her to touch it. Fred nodded in understanding and leapt from his chair.  
"I'll be right back," he said and dashed from the infirmary. Maybe a miracle was possible for them. Because George was determined to make it happen, no matter the odds.

++++++++

She floated in a bubble of warmth and happiness. The buzz in her head was now more of a pleasant hum in the background that gave her a sense of security and being loved. Hermione enjoyed that new feeling - it reminded her of home and family. She wasn't feeling dead, but she also wasn't alive. It was more like something in between, maybe like a dream? Or was this "her" version of King's Cross that Harry had described to her? She concentrated, but there were no pictures, no sound, nothing. And Hermione decided that even though it felt kind of nice, she didn't like this nothingness. But how did she get out of here?  
"Hermione," whispered a voice to her and it felt close and far away at the same time. Did that make any sense? Probably not. But many things weren't making sense to her at the moment.   
"I'm here! Help!" she wanted to shout, but couldn't. Why couldn't she say anything? Her mouth felt better than before – almost normal – but it still refused to make a sound.  
"Hermione, please. We need you," whispered the voice again, this time louder than before. "Please wake up."  
"I'm trying," she tried to answer, but it was of no use. But she wouldn't give up - not ever. She wanted to go back, wanted to leave this place whatever it was, because there were people waiting for her. And she would not disappoint them. "I'll come back to you," she promised and struggled against the ties that were holding her. "You'll see."

++++++++

Three days and three nights, they had been sitting on her bed. Three days of waiting, hoping and holding her hand, while pressing the necklace into her cold fingers. George was not sure if what they were doing was even working, but as each session left him drained and tired, he was hoping that it did. Hermione didn't move a muscle, and as the bandages weren't due to be changed until tomorrow, there was no saying if there was any improvement to her condition, at least not by simply looking at her. But Madam Pomfrey assured them, that their wife was still alive and that the babies looked to be fine. It was what gave them hope and let them carry on.   
The infirmary had gotten calmer over the last days. Neville was shipped off to a private ward at St Mungo's the day before and the people who wanted information from them about the final confrontation with Voldemort had finally given up and directed their attention to somebody else. Their mum, Ron and Harry came once a day and, to his surprise, even Draco came over for a few minutes, day by day. He wasn't talking to them, just staring at their wife with a stony expression and questions in his eyes, but as he didn't bother them, they didn't send him away.  
George had started talking to Hermione in his head and when he felt desperate enough, he even called for her and pleaded her to finally come back to them. Nothing happened at first, but after a while, her fingers started twitching in his hand and he looked at his brother with wide, hopeful eyes. Fred was alert in the same second and leapt from his chair to get the matron. Madam Pomfrey came rushing towards them just a few moments later and after casting a few monitoring spells, she nodded with a happy smile.   
"Looks like she's waking up," she confirmed, and George's heart started beating frantically in his chest. Hermione was alive, she had pulled through and now she was finally coming back to them. "Try not to overwhelm her and don't expect too much of her at first. Remember, she barely escaped death a few days ago."  
George nodded mutely. He didn't need a reminder that they had almost lost her and their children a few days ago. That wasn't a fact he was about to forget anytime soon. He understood what the nurse wanted to say. Now wasn't the time to ask questions or to make her in any way uncomfortable. But George hadn't planned to do that anyway.  
The next thirty minutes trickled by ever so slowly while they waited for Hermione to wake up. George remained by her side, held her hand and whispered encouraging words to her and, bit by bit, her body seemed to wake up: first her hands, then her feet and finally her head started twitching until, after an agonizing thirty minutes, her eyes suddenly flew open. For a few moments, her brown eyes just shifted from right to left eager to take in her surroundings and George didn't even have to try very hard to send her an encouraging and happy smile.   
"Hermione, love, you're back," he murmured and pressed her hand. Her eyes shifted back to him and studied him with an intensity that he had never seen there before.   
"George," she croaked and grimaced. Her voice sounded horrible, but it was still the most wonderful sound he had heard in ages. He nodded towards her with a happy smile. She blinked at him groggily before she turned her head towards his brother. "Fred," she whispered again hoarsely, and his twin beamed at her happily.   
"We missed you, love," Fred said and gently took her other hand. "How do you feel?"  
At that, Hermione blinked silently for a moment, as if she wasn't sure what to answer. Finally, she said, "I'm not in pain, but I can't move. Why can't I move?" Her voice was so tiny and sounded so scared that George's heart contracted painfully in his chest.  
"We had to cover your body in bandages, dear," Madam Pomfrey answered for them in a motherly tone. "Your skin was badly burned, and we had to ensure that it was in permanent contact with the cooling and healing tonics. But don't worry dear, we'll be able to remove the bandages by tomorrow. Just rest until then and try to recover your strength. I'm sure your husbands here will only be too happy to keep you company. They haven't left your side for longer than a few minutes at a time."   
Hermione blinked at them confusedly. "How long have I been out?"  
"Three days," Fred answered calmly and smiled. "But don't worry about it. You haven't missed much."  
"That must be the understatement of the century. I've got so many questions. What happened?" Hermione asked them somewhat desperately. But the medi-witch shook her head and tutted, "I'm sorry dear, but you are in no shape for such a long and exhausting discussion. You can ask questions as soon as you had some more rest. But until then, no more talking I'm afraid." She looked at them sternly and George was almost sure Hermione was about to object, but after a long moment, she nodded tiredly instead. They didn't say another word but kept glancing at each other, but it didn't take long before Hermione's eyes fell close again. And a moment later, she was already fast asleep.

++++++++

Hermione slept through the rest of the day and the night like she hadn't had a rest for ages, which was ridiculous as she hadn't done anything but rest for days. When she finally awoke, she felt worlds better and the numbness in her limbs had finally subsided. Her head was still a bit fuzzy, but it was nothing compared to the fog that had dampened her senses and spirit the day before. Now she felt more like she had enjoyed one or two glasses of wine and not like she had tried whatever Professor Trelawney must be drinking on a regular basis.   
"You're awake," George murmured with a smile as soon as she had squinted her eyes open. He was still sitting next to her bed, but at some point, he and Fred must have switched sides. "Are you still tired?"   
She shook her head carefully but the yawn that escaped her mouth betrayed her action. "Just a bit," she finally admitted, and Fred snorted.   
"I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey wants to see you as soon as you are awake. She really wants to get these bandages off of you and I must admit that I also can't wait to finally see your face again. You kind of look like a mummy at the moment. I mean, I like staring at your eyes and mouth, don't get me wrong, but I kind of miss the rest of you."  
Hermione forced herself to smile and nodded. Still, she felt queasy at the thought of what they might find below the bandages. It must have been bad if they had left them on her skin for that long. "Well, no time like the present then. Let's get this over with," she said and like on command, Poppy was at her side a moment later.   
"Well my dear, do you prefer if we do this alone? Or do you want your husbands to stay?" the matron asked and cast her a motherly smile. Hermione gulped. There was nothing below these bandages that those two hadn't already seen, but what if she was badly scarred and ugly? Well, they would see it anyway sooner or later and when she thought about it, there was no reason they shouldn't see it right away. Because if she was honest with herself, she wanted them at her side - wanted their support.  
"Fred and George can stay," she said with conviction. "That is if you don't mind, Madame Pomfrey."  
The medi-witch shrugged with a smile. "Alright then. We'll do this the quick way. I'll just ban these bandages with my wand. It's much faster and gentler that way." With that, the woman pulled out her wand from her sleeve and held it between her fingers like a delicate instrument.   
Hermione swallowed heavily and nodded. "Alright." She involuntarily closed her eyes and a moment later she heard the incantation and felt the wash of magic on her skin. It was the gasp of the twins that forced her eyes open again and let her look at herself with a critical eye.   
"What's wrong?" she asked a bit panicked and looked at the skin of her arms. It looked fine, as there didn't seem a scar in sight. But then she looked closer and furrowed her brows. Freckles? Since when did she have freckles?  
Fred cleared his throat next to her uncomfortably and George scratched his head nervously.   
"Unfortunately, we couldn't save your hair, my dear." Madam Pomfrey said while scanning her with her wand. "But I'm sure it will grow back just fine with time. Everything else seems to have recovered just nicely."  
Hermione swallowed thickly and moved her hand to her head. All the curls were gone and instead, only a thin layer of soft hair coated her skin there. "I'm bald," she said in a disbelieving tone and after she saw the dumbstruck look on the twin's faces, she giggled hysterically. "No one will know me without this wild mop of curls. It's almost like Professor Dumbledore without a beard."  
The twins snorted. "It's even worse, Hermione. You're a redhead now." With that, Fred transfigured a mirror and offered it to her. When Hermione caught a look at herself, her eyes almost bulged out. It was almost bizarre. Her face was still the same, but her skin was sprinkled with freckles over freckles. And the short hair on her head was definitely ginger. Hermione shook her head confusedly. "I don't understand," she said and gave the mirror back to Fred. "What happened to me?"  
Fred and George cast each other a long look and Madame Pomfrey sighed. "During the fight, you must have totally drained your magical core and we were not sure if you would be able to heal considering your injuries. Your husbands found a way to… transfer some of their magical energy to you."  
Hermione swallowed and looked at the two of them with wide eyes. "You… gave me your magic? Like a blood donation?"  
"No!" the two of them shouted in unison and gaped at her. "There was no blood involved Hermione, we swear!" But Hermione waved them off totally unconcerned.  
"I didn't mean it like this. Blood donation is totally common with muggles. When somebody suffers a big blood loss then blood from another person can be transferred to substitute for the loss. My parents went regularly and donated some of their blood for the hospitals. It's totally normal, don't worry. Muggles don't have blood replenishers after all. I was merely curious as I've never heard of such a thing like transfer of magical energy."  
Madam Pomfrey nodded in understanding. "Well, that is because something like a transfer of magical energy is totally unheard of. I don't know how your husbands did it, but it must have worked, as the part of Weasley magic that runs through your body now seems fairly obvious."  
Fred and George snorted and grinned. But Hermione looked at them inquiringly. "Are you two alright? I mean, this didn't hurt you or drain you, did it?"   
They waved her off with a grin. "Don't worry about us, love. It's nothing that can't be replaced with some good nights of rest and some of mum's food." Fred said before George continued: "Our magic will recover itself in a few days and we don't plan on using much of it in the near future. No dark wizards around that need our immediate attention."  
Hermione laughed happily. "You mean it's all over? Did you … did you finish him for good?"  
The twins looked at each other, before focusing back at her. "Harry finished him off with a basilisk fang. And you killed the snake, right?"  
Hermione swallowed heavily and nodded. "The snake's dead, yeah. I'm not sure if I can talk about everything just now, but as soon as I am better, I need to talk to Draco. He deserves to know what happened and hopefully, he'll forgive me in time."  
George gently kissed her temple. "It's okay love. Take as much time as you need. We won't pressure you and we'll fight off everybody who tries. We were Quidditch Beaters after all." They puffed their chests proudly.   
Hermione snorted before all of them erupted in laughter. They had really pulled through, and even though there were still Death Eaters outside, she was sure that all would be well – in time. The Dark Lord was no more and the dark shadow that he had cast over their life was finally lifted. And Hermione was determined to enjoy what the future held for her and her little family. Because finally, she couldn't wait for the days to come, days full of happiness, laughter and light.

++++++++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Now there's only the epilogue missing. It will go up tomorrow and then we are done... Feels kind of strange, to be honest...


	27. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> that's it - the end of this story. Thank you to all of you who took the time to read to the end. I hope you liked it.  
> And thank you for all your encouraging words, they mean the world to me. You're the best.

Draco Malfoy would never get used to having godchildren and it was always an adventure when he visited them. He wasn't even sure why he had been chosen for the task, but it must have somehow started when he was called to Hermione's sickbed one week after this fateful day when he had lost both of his parents. Life in his family was different from everything he saw and experienced since that day, as his parents were never overly affectionate and never coddled him. But he had still felt loved and appreciated by them, even though hugs and kisses were usually substituted with expensive presents or fancy outings. It had never mattered to Draco, as he hadn't known any different, and losing his parents had been a blow he had problems coming to terms with. Hermione, he was supposed to call her by her given name now, had told him everything that happened during the battle with the bloody snake and under tears, she had begged his forgiveness. It was still a miracle to him. The woman had suffered under him for years, was tortured by his aunt in his own house, had fought the Dark Lord that had drawn almost all happiness from Draco's life and almost lost her own life in return. It should have been the other way around. He should have thanked her, should have apologized to her, but he never had. And Hermione had never asked for it. Instead, her small bald and now freckled figure sat on the bed, flanked by her protective husbands, and had apologized. And then she had invited him into their family. He had learned that the witch was pregnant, thanks to that hideous law which was released just months ago through the ministry. Until that day, he had never understood what this law meant for wizards and witches like herself but when he was confronted with the fact that a girl their age was married and impregnated against her will, he felt suddenly sick. But when Hermione told him about the pregnancy, she never complained. Instead, she asked him to be godfather to both of her children. And Draco had accepted.  
Three years later, he was sure that it must have been the shock that made him even consider such an offer. They were Weasleys after all and their families had generations of hate and prejudices to overcome. But his parents were dead and there was no one but himself left from the Malfoy clan, and Draco decided that he would take the chance and try to make a change. And what a change it was. First, he joined Potter and his band on the hunt for the last Death Eaters in the country. In the course of a year, all of the remaining servants of the Dark Lord were caught by them and all of them were sent to a reformed Azkaban without dementors, all except him. Fate had been smiling down on him when he and his mother had found out about the invasion of Hogwarts by a group of Weasleys three years ago. This day, he had gotten the chance to reinvent himself and to change his life for the better. And he thanked his lucky stars that he had.   
"Oi, poster boy. Tell me the newest gossip, would you?" he was greeted by the impertinent gargoyle that the Weasleys had chosen as a guard to their grounds. Draco could have sworn that the thing had once guarded the passage to the Headmaster's office, but it must have been a different one because, in contrast to this annoying doppelgänger, the other one had been blissfully silent.  
"Longbottom and Lovegood have agreed to the positions in Hogwarts that were offered to them. After their upcoming nuptials, they will teach those dunderheads in school all about Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. I'm still not sure why McGonagall had offered the position to her, but on the other hand, she can barely do worse than the oaf Hagrid. At least the students will be safe during her lessons."  
The gargoyle snorted and stepped aside. "It is always entertaining to hear your news. You should visit more often, poster boy. The boys are so much more behaved when you are around."  
Draco shook his head unbelievingly. Those boys were behaving around him? Who was this creature even kidding? With these two redheads, chaos was almost a given, and he often wondered how their parents managed to stay sane and good-humoured throughout the years and how their house remained as clean and organized when it was the home of the four biggest pranksters in British history. The Gryffin's Nest, as they called their home, was a place that was still looking for its equal. The colours of the place were hideous, a mix of orange, green and purple that all bled together into something that burned itself deep into one's skull and would still be seen after one had closed his eyes. And even though the huge house was built fairly normal, the enhancements on the house and grounds were nothing that would be found elsewhere. The annoying gargoyle was just the first obstacle one had to overcome when one wanted to visit the Weasleys. Somehow, this family had found it a good idea to have stairs to their front door that could read the intentions of the visitor. If those were not good enough, they would simply transform themselves into a slide and there was no chance they would let you through. And if that wasn't annoying enough, the final price to gain entrance to the house was to select and eat one candy from a glass positioned next to the entrance. Like Bertie Botts Beans, those came in various flavours, but in addition, there was always also a random transformation that was taking place. Today, Draco had gotten something like cherry-flavoured chocolate, and he already thought he had been lucky until he caught a look of himself in the mirror next to the entrance. He was sure this mirror was placed with the sole purpose to annoy the newly transformed guest. Today, his hair was spiky and of a hideous orange that would make him truly blend in with the rest of the clan.   
"Uncle Draco," squealed the voices of Felix and Gilbert Weasley as soon as he had taken his first step away from the mirror. Just a moment later, two curly-haired redheads bounced down the stairs and collided with his legs, where they firmly attached themselves. It was still a miracle how those two could sense when he was around, as they always rushed to his side immediately and wouldn't leave until he left the house in the evening. But somehow, he didn't mind so much as these two terrors had somehow wormed their way into his heart. It almost made the thought of having kids of his own … bearable. "Did you come to play Quidditch with us?" little Felix started talking before his brother continued, "Mum will just let us fly on these boring toy brooms," and Felix finished, "but Uncle Harry said you were one of the bestest Quidditch players from his school and if you could just show us…" Listening to those two was like watching a tennis match, as they constantly finished each other's sentences. Was that also something their fathers had done? He couldn't remember. And did Potter really praise his Quidditch skills? Or were these two just trying to get their way again? It was impossible to tell with them. He grinned.   
"Maybe we can play a game later. Your dads are surely up for a little match and maybe one of your thousand uncles can come and bring some of his spawns. Then we can always make a full team." The two of them squealed and started to bounce on his legs excitedly. It was almost enough to make him stumble. "Oh thank you, thank you, Uncle Draco. You are the coolest!" little Gilbert gushed before his brother said, "Did we tell you that we pranked Uncle Ron? He and his girlfriend were doing this disgusting, slurping thing with their mouths again and…" He listened to their stories with growing interest and as the story ended, he could not help the grin spreading on his face. "And you pinned it on your dads? Clever boys. We'll make true Slytherins out of the two of you." They grinned at him proudly before grinning to each other, "Can you imagine, Fe? That would be the biggest prank ever!"  
Draco snickered. "Where's your mum by the way? Usually, she would have come running by now."  
Gilbert sighed. "She's over at Uncle Sev'rus's house. Said something about a very important research project on magliantic runes or something like that." Draco nodded. It was a clever move of Hermione to move all of her books and research over to her little hideout. It was the only place that was truly safe from those twins. She had told Draco once that Snape had left her the place as a hideout in the war and now he had to grin at the thought. Severus Snape surely didn't have in mind that the witch would use the place as a hideout from her own over-exciting family. But Hermione would sometimes bury herself there for hours and do that, what she enjoyed the most. Maybe that was her secret to how she survived in a house full of hobby pranksters and still managed to have something like a career as an independent researcher. Sometimes she worked alone, but more often she consulted with the portrait of his godfather, whom Draco had never before seen in such good humour, or her husbands. But those two were in a category of mad geniuses on their own.   
"Our dads are over in the shed," Little Felix explained with a mischievous grin. "Last time we looked, dad had transformed himself into a skunk and father was trying to change him back. Didn't look like it was working, though." Gilbert snorted. "Maybe we shouldn't have swapped the contents of those potion bottles, Fe."   
Draco laughed. "Nah, don't worry. They will be fine. I'll tell you what. Let me quickly send a Patronus to some friends, eh? Maybe we can get this game of Quidditch running faster than we thought."  
The two of them squealed before hugging him fiercely. And Draco Malfoy grinned. It was always paying off to be their favourite uncle. Because the only people safe from their pranks were Hermione and him. They had tried to prank him once, but after having caught them, he had offered them a deal. He would make helpful suggestions for their little schemes and willingly supply them with everything their little black hearts desired. And in return, they would willingly prank the living daylights out of Potter and his little band of childhood friends and proudly take credit for all of their little inventions. Draco himself was, of course, never discovered, he was a true snake after all. And wasn't that the biggest prank in a house that was being called Gryffin's Nest? Draco laughed. Maybe he was the biggest prankster of them all.


End file.
